The Encounters
by LukeDude
Summary: What if the heroes and villains from all the eras of the Galaxy met in one place? Well, there's a bad feeling about this... But the Force has a peculiar way to create balance.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Welcome my fellow readers!**

 **This is just an idea I stumbled upon while playing Heroes vs Villains in Battlefront II. I thought it could be an interesting scenario**

 **(Note: Destiny if the Chosen Ones is not dead, I will post a chapter this week. I apologize for the delay. Exchange programs do take your time)**

 **Without further ado, let's begin!**

 **(If you like it, let me know your opinion!)**

Chapter 1: Prologue

As he opened his eyes, he put his hands up to block the light that blurred his vision. His mouth was dry, his skin hot and his body tired, yet he'd never felt more alive. He actually felt freed for the first time in decades. It was as if the suit had completely vanished.

Standing up as his vision came back he realized something quite weird: His legs were aching.

"Wait, legs?" He wondered. He put his hands down to feel them, and his suspicion was right.

He had legs. Real legs. Skin, flesh and bone, not the metallic piece of support he'd been given after his gruesome injuries. He could actually feel them touching the ground and his robes. He moved his toes just to make sure they were actually there.

And this wasn't all. His left hand was also there, intact and unburned. He rose his arms, disbelieved, though he quickly noticed his right arm was still cybernetic.

And that's what ticked him off.

"What is this?"

He looked around, seeing nothing but his shadow in sight. Checking himself once again, he found only a holoprojector and a lightsaber…

"Wh- How??"

Startled, he grabbed the hilt, realizing it was his old saber. The one he'd lost on Mustafar and last saw with his son on Bespin. Just to make sure that was it, he ignited the blade, admiring the blue hue it emitted.

He grinned, but before he could amuse himself with his old weapon he heard something behind him.

Extinguishing the blade, he turned to see a young woman lying in the ground, waking up to the bright light of the place.

Though confused about how she got there, Anakin would help nonetheless.

"Are you alright?" He asked, kneeling down. The woman wore robes, similar to those worn by Jedi, though these had traits of self-made clothing, much like the one she used to wear as a slave on Tatooine.

"Ugh… Wait w- Where am I?" She said, hand in her forehead.

"Honestly, I wish I knew it." He offered his hand, pulling her up from the ground. She blinked her eyes repeatedly until she could see as well.

The surroundings looked like a desert, but not like the huge dunes that used to plague her home world. This was just a dry, empty desert with no signs of life at all.

That is, besides the man standing next to her.

"Pardon, but… Who are you?"

Understanding that in order to help each other they had to know each other, he calmly introduced himself.

"My name's Anakin. What's yours?"

"I'm Rey." She replied, letting her guard up. She had no idea who this man was, so all caution was welcome. Though his name did sound familiar.

"Huh, I feel like I've known you before. I don't know, I've seen too much back in my day." Anakin said, looking around to look for anything that could help them.

"Back in your day? You're not that older than me." Rey said.

"Hah, what'd yo…" Anakin was going to make a quick pun when he noticed something. He did feel younger. Taking the holoprojector from his belt, he put an image of himself on it, getting shocked to see it.

He was young indeed. No burned marks, no untreatable scars, no missing limbs, besides his right arm.

No helmet. He looked just as he did near the end of the Clone Wars.

Astounded, he ran his hand through his face to make sure it was real, slapping it just to be certain it wasn't a dream. Chuckling, Anakin had no idea on how to react.

"Are you… okay?"

Snapping off from his shock, Anakin put the projector away, facing Rey in an uncomfortable manner.

"I guess so. It's just that… I remembered myself not this way…"

"If you say so." Rey said, taking a small step back. Glancing around to the nothing surrounding them, she knew they needed to do something to survive "We need to find somewhere to make a shelter. Maybe it'd be smart to move."

"Very true. Let's- Hey, give that back!"

Confused toward Anakin's sudden burst of demand, Rey questioned.

"That what? I literally took nothing from you!"

"What do you mean nothing?" Anakin asked, losing his patience "That's my lightsaber you've got right there!"

Putting her hand over the hilt, Rey backed away.

"This is my lightsaber! Yours is right there!" She said, pointing at his belt.

"Ugh, stop-" Glancing down, Anakin stopped himself as he noticed the saber was indeed still hanging there, untouched.

Looking again at the Rey, though, he was troubled to see her lightsaber's hilt was not only similar, but identical in every way to his.

He picked his weapon up, analyzing it. At first Rey thought he was going to strike at her, so she also grabbed her saber. But then she noticed the same thing as he did.

How was this possible?

"Can you… turn it on, please?' Anakin gently asked, hoping not to give her the wrong impression.

Nodding, Rey slid her finger to the ignition button, and at the same time, the swords lighted into a matchable blue tone. Both of them were puzzled by the sight.

And Rey remembered. The original owner of the saber. Not Master Luke, but his father, the prophesied Chosen One, hero of the Clone Wars, former Jedi.

And Sith Lord.

Anakin.

"Skywalker". She murmured, but Anakin heard it clearly.

"T-That's me." He said, still unsettled.

Staring at him, Rey spoke again, sweating.

"You… You are Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi Knight."

"Yes, I am." He confirmed, a smile forming in his face.

"But… You're dead."

The scratchy wind kept blowing in his face, waking him up to a very unpleasant environment.

There was nothing to be seen for miles, and the only company he had was the blazing sun on top of him.

Standing up from the ground, he ran his finger through his eyes, but stopped to such realization.

His fingers. His hands. They were there.

Most important, actually, his head was there. Touching his beard, he couldn't believe it. He was alive, and feeling better than ever.

The only question was what kind of planet was he lost on.

Glancing down, all he carried was a holoprojector and his curved lightsaber. Though at the moment he was sure he wouldn't need it.

Or so he thought.

Behind him, he heard a cracked, sparkling noise. Turning around, he saw a man standing a few meters away from him, with a crimson, crossguarded lightsaber in hands.

Putting his hand over the handle but not yet grabbing it, Count Dooku spoke.

"Easy, warrior. Let us not fool ourselves into fighting one another."

The man didn't change his stance, though he seemed to take interest over whatever Dooku had to say.

Proceeding carefully, Dooku continued.

"Please, turn off your weapon. No need for violence yet."

"Who are you?" The man asked, pointing it's crackling blade toward Dooku.

Without hesitation, he responded.

"I am Count Dooku of Serenno. And you?"

He remained quiet, though Dooku noticed some agitation in the man's eyes.

"Hm, not much of a talker, I suppose."

The man got closer, still in a defensive stance. Now Dooku did grab his hilt.

"I'm warning you. Turn off the sword. We don't need to start trouble here."

Sensing this needed to be dealt with now, Dooku decided to take action.

"That is, assuming trouble can be even started, Your saber is unrefined, unbalanced. It's the work of a child with no knowledge!"

The man snarled, moving to attack the Sith Lord. But before he could land a strike, he was thrown aside by Force Lightning to the ground. Before he could stand up, Dooku got his foot on top of his chest, both his saber and the mysterious warrior's at the man's throat.

This reminded him of that fateful day with Sidious and Skywalker.

Shrugging the thought off, Dooku decided he could make questions later. For now, he had matters to resolve. Staring the man down, he spoke.

"You are reckless. Untrained and uncareful, though I sense great power in you."

Stepping away from the man, Dooku kept the two sabers ignited. The warrior got up, this time more calm than before.

Dooku smirked.

"A child without a toy can be easily controlled."

The warrior looked at him, rage in his eyes.

"I cannot be controlled." The man said.

Grinning, Dooku continued.

"Hm, prove me wron-"

Before he could finish his sentence, however, Dooku felt the air escape his chest, and his neck tightening up. His feet left the ground, and he dropped both sabers. The strength he felt upon not only his throat, but his self being was underwealming, and not even the power of his master could be compared to this.

The warrior summoned his saber back, and released the Count. Kneeling to the ground, he gasped for air.

The man walked up to Dooku. Too weakened, he was ready to accept his fate. He had already before. But instead, he was surprised to see the man reaching out to him with his hand.

Taking it, Dooku got up, still feeling his throat aching.

"Impressive." The Count remarked, looking at the warrior. He had a scar over the right side of his face, similar though bigger than Skywalker's. He wore black robes, with a dark cape hanging on his back.

Whoever this individual was, however, was nothing like the Count had ever seen, especially considering his power on the Force, which could be felt by every pulse of the warrior's heart.

"Count… Dooku?" The man asked, now seemingly curious.

"Yes. And you are?"

Clipping his saber to his belt, the man answered.

"Kylo Ren."

Dooku chuckled, seeing through the apparent joke.

"And what is your real name, young man?"

Glancing at him irritated, Kylo replied.

"It matters not."

"Oh yes it does." Dooku said, approaching Ren "It is your true self, the man you really are."

"Kylo Ren is who I truly am. My true identity."

Turning his face aside, Dooku scoffed at the man's attempt to be someone else.

"Just like yours is Darth Tyranus."

Widening his eyes, Dooku stared at Ren. None but a few selected or lucky individuals knew his Sith title. So how could this random man who he'd just met know him?

"What did you just say?" Dooku asked, confronting Ren.

"It's true. know who you are. I know your tale. How you were a former Jedi turned Sith. How you started the Clone War. How you manipulated the conflict and, at the same time, were manipulated by someone else. I know your whole story."

Startled, Dooku stepped forward, inches away from Kylo. His face invoked anger, disturbance, but most all, fear.

"How can you know this?" He asked, troubled.

With a confident and evil look, Ren replied.

"Because… You are dead."


	2. Chapter 2 : Friends Reunite

**After a long (pretty much forgettable wait) I'm back to continue the plot of The Encounters!**

 **Remember to review your thoughts and opinions and without further ado, let's delve into it!**

Chapter 2 : Friends Reunite

Han Solo opened his eyes with only one thing in mind: water.

He'd never been so thirsty in his whole life, not even his time smuggling piracies in Tatooine had ever given him the raspy and dry feel he now felt. He needed to find any source of moisture, and fast.

Getting up from the white, arid ground he began looking around for any possible way to follow but noticed how strangely more easy it was to stand up than it usually had been for the last couple of years. His back also didn't hurt as much, and he felt stronger and alive, very much alive.

 _Alive._

Han immediately took off his coat and unbuttoned his shirt to expose his sweaty, much to his surprise stronger but more shockingly, intact chest. His heart was beating and his lungs were breathing, and there were no marks of any scorchings, burnings or stabbings in there. It was completely unharmed.

Then a second thing came to Han's mind, the last thing he remembered before waking up at this moment: his death.

And the last thing he'd seen. A crimson, fiery blade piercing through him as he stared at _his_ cold and dark yet conflicted eyes. And as he moved his fingers across _his_ face one last time, he plummeted into the abyss below, and the darkness enveloped him.

And of all the possible doers and causes for it, _he_ had been the one who did it. His own son. _Ben_.

Han started breathing heavily, trying to process the shock. He'd never been afraid of failure. But this time it was different. He had failed as a father, as a figure who should have looked after and inspired his son to greatness. And he had failed Leia by not bringing him back. Failing a job for a random gangster was a forgettable silly thing, but this was shameful, hurtful and heartbroken.

And for the first time in a very long time, Han found himself holding back tears because of emotion.

" _C'mon Solo, get yourself back together._ " He told himself, recomposing his stature and preparing to move on, as he had always done. if this was the so-called afterlife, then he'd have to get used to it.

But before he could start walking somewhere, he heard increasingly loud footsteps behind him. Han didn't even have the time to turn around as he was tackled to back to the ground, suffocated by a giant, hairy being.

And Han immediately recognized him.

"Chewie? I ca-Air!" He exclaimed, trying to push the Wookie away.

Chewbacca, however, wouldn't let go of his old pal. He pulled Han up from the ground but kept his hug tight as possible. He wanted to make sure it was not a dream, that his best friend was alive and well, and kept groaning how much he missed Han.

"I miss you too bud, but I can't see you if you keep squashing me against your hair!" Han said, finally being freed from the Wookie's grasp. He took a moment to analyze the situation. If he was dead, then...

Chewie grumbled to Han.

"Well, used to be dead now. And what with you? Did you...?"

Chewie shook his head, denying it, and proceeded to express how he had been pretty much alive and suddenly woke up in this place to find Han.

"Then let's hope you didn't just choke in your sleep." He said, being aided back up by his Wookie companion, who then questioned Han's physical and younger appearance.

"Got no clue either, pal. I just opened my eyes after... You know, and here I was, better than ever. I guess..."

The Wookie turned ahead, groaning.

"You're right, we should find somewhere to hydrate ourselves. Problem is there ain't nothing on the horizon."

The two looked at each other, then looked to the desertic field in front of them.

"Let's do it" Said Han, and they began their journey. Along the way, Chewie told all that had happened after his passing, how the Resistance had found Luke, who initially did not want to help them but ended up being their last salvation; that Rey had started and progressed very fast her Jedi training, which Han wasn't impressed. That kid really acted like a quick learner; Big Deal was now and an actual big deal in the Resistance and Chewie had just found his new favorite snack: little birds named Porgs.

But of all the news and goings-on that his friend had told him, two of them shocked Han the most.

The first was that Luke, the farm boy who he'd grown to respect and love as a friend and family member, the Last Jedi Master, was dead. He'd sacrificed himself to allow the Resistance to carry on. Luke had always looked after the little guy but this time, the 'little guy' was the entire Galaxy.

But the second news stunned him even more. Snoke, the scary bastard who'd turned his son to the Dark Side, was also dead, but the cause of it was what surprised him. The 'Supreme Leader' had been killed by non-other than his son, Ben Solo. Or as he now deemed himself, _Kylo Ren_.

"Wait, so what happened then? Who rules the First Order now?"

Chewie hesitated for a bit but ended up spilling it away.

"Oh boy." Han could not believe it. The fear, the dread but above all else, the frustration with the answer "Why Ben, why. What did you become?"

Chewbacca put his hand on Han's shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"Of course it was my fault, Chewie. I wasn't there when he needed me. I never gave that kid the attention he deserved or the care that he required to grow up. I never played fetch with him once in his childhood, not even once. And I didn't even ask if he wanted to be a Jedi, I just sent him to Luke hoping for the best. Never kept contact in any easy way. I failed him Chewie."

Han pressed his lips looking down, and Chewie remained quiet, letting him finish his sentence.

"Maybe I deserved it, you know. The lightsaber and stuff. Doesn't matter now, I'm dead anyway."

Chewie stood in front of Han, pointing at his chest right where his heart was, explaining how just by regretting all of that already showed the love he had for the boy, and that it wasn't, well, entirely his fault, but also his son was still alive, somewhere under Kylo Ren was Ben Solo, and that Leia and Rey would do anything to bring the First Order down and him back to them.

"I tried to do that Chewie, and look where I ended up!"

Han ran his hand across his forehead, getting the sweat away, which at this point he didn't know if it was there due to the heat or the stress. Chewie backed up a bit, not willing to argue against Han, not now that they were reunited.

Han realized how rude his tone was "Look, I'm sorry pal, it's just that I wish I knew what to do and how to. That kid's my son. I can't believe he's the next Vader."

Chewie put his arm around Han, making sure he didn't feel alone.

"Alright, let's keep going. An eternity walking around here and no water to be found anywhere. If this is the afterlife, it pretty much sucks."

The Wookie growled in response.

"You sure? One of us is dead, why wouldn't the other be?"

Chewie widened his eyes, staring them straight forward to where Han stood.

"Hey, don't take it personally, I'm just kidding pal!"

He roared and ran toward Han, who embraced himself for yet another tackle but was surprised to find Chewie actually standing in front of him. The Wookie pulled his Bowcaster out of his side bag, and Han, noticing he had his DL-44 in his holster, draw his blaster too.

He slowly moved his head beside Chewie to see what he was aiming at, or in this case who.

He saw a young woman in white clothing and a short cape around her shoulders. Her hair had a set of braids that combined into a back bun, similar to the ones Leia used to do from time to time. She was pointing a blaster at Chewie, but Han noticed her other hand laying next to a small, quite well-made pistol, but too fancy for Han's taste

"Lady it would be really nice if you lowered your weapon!" He said, also aiming his blaster.

"Only if you two do it too." She said, trying to sound confident, but Han noticed the insecurity in her stance.

"Look, you get him I get you, which probably won't happen because Wookies are quite resilient, you know. And you don't wanna make a Wookie mad."

The woman looked at Chewie, who snarled back at her.

"Let's do this nice and slow, alright? Maybe we can introduce ourselves?" Han proposed, fingers crossed behind his back.

"You first. Who are you?"

Han rolled his eyes but kept going with it "I'm Han Solo, and this guy here is my good friend Chewbacca. Now you."

The woman stood quiet for a brief moment but soon gave in.

"I am Padme Amidala."

Han frowned in doubt, slowly moving away from Chewie's back "Excuse me lady, but are you senator of Naboo now?"

"For a matter of fact, I am." She replied, still holding the blaster but lowering it down slightly.

Han did not believe it. But then again he was alive now, and if this was some sort of life after death, then there was no other plausible explanation.

He dropped his blaster, and Chewie looked at him surprised.

'It's okay, do it too." And so, the Wookie also put his Bowcaster on the ground.

Han walked closer to the woman, careful not to seem like an aggressor and keeping his hands visible.

"You're Padme Amidala, from Naboo?" He asked again, just to make sure.

"Yes, why are you so startled? It's not like you're the only one who knows who I am." She said, still unsecured but getting curious about the man's behavior.

"No, I'm not, but please hear me out." Han said, getting even closer "You weren't supposed to be here."

"I know. Where are we?" She asked.

"Don't know either, but Padme, look, what I meant is that YOU should not be able to be here."

"What do you mean?" She finally lowered her blaster, eyebrows pressing in doubt.

"What I mean is that... To put it simply, you're not alive ma'am."

Padme gasped faintly, somewhat understanding what the man said.

"Also I think I've married your daughter."

 **So Han and Chewie are reunited along with an unexpected guest!**

 **I apologize for the lack of uploads, I'll try to write as it becomes convenient for me, which hopefully will be more frequently from now on.**

 **Thank you for reading, and remember:**

 **May the Force be with you...**

 **Always.**


	3. Chapter 3 : Old Wounds

**I guess I have a bit of explanation to do, huh?**

 **No, I have not forgotten this story. I was waiting for TROS to release so that I could know how to progress with it. I will decide how to handle with the Sequel Trilogy characters as the narrative goes on, but you should not worry about spoilers. For now.**

 **Given the surging appeal this story is getting, I think it's about time to get it back on track. More details on my other works by the end of this chapter.**

 **Without further ado, let's do it!**

Chapter 3 : Old Wounds

"This can only be hell."

They squared off against each other, lightsabers drown in a defensive stance. Though his opponent's face showed barely any reaction, apart from what he deduced could be a bit of curiosity, he was completely different. The blood in his veins boiled with anger, his yellow irises burning through his eyes due to the figure before him.

"If it were hell, it wouldn't be kind to any of us. Look at yourself, younger and no longer part droid!" His adversary had a point. He had legs, real legs. He could feel his toes touching his boots, a feeling that never had he thought he missed. He missed actually walking and sensing the ground through his body. In general, having everything from his waist down back to his body was something he never expected to have again, but was relieved and grateful about.

But it was still strange. All of this was too strange. His lightsaber was also fully intact, seemingly untouched by damage or rusting.

But strangest of all was himself, particularly him being alive and well.

And his killer standing right in front of him, though also younger than he remembered him from their last encounter.

"Enough with the smart remarks Kenobi! What sort of trickery are you playing here?"

Obi-Wan held on a sigh. This would be harsh to handle.

"If I knew I'd have already told you by now. I am as lost as you are, Maul."

"Nonsense! This is some kind of punishment, isn't it? You are meddling with my mind as I join with the Force! LET ME DIE IN PEACE!"

In a blink of an eye, Maul sprinted toward Kenobi, his double-bladed saber spinning to confuse the Jedi as to where the first strike would land.

But all these years of confronting the Dark Side and meditating on Tatooine had given Obi-Wan a mastery of insight through the Force. This is how he had defeated Maul in their last duel.

But this time he wouldn't kill him. That was in defense of Luke, of the fate of the Galaxy. But now he himself was dead, he remembered it. Being struck down by his fallen apprentice on the battle station and becoming one with the Force, and later aiding young Skywalker on his journey as a Jedi.

But now he was in this unknown place, and he would require any sort of help to understand what was happening.

Even if such help came as a former enemy.

Moving his blade slightly backward, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and waited for Maul to close the gap between them. As the Zabrak got closer, the could feel his anger guide his actions, and tapping into the Force he knew where he'd attack.

Opening his eyes at the perfect moment, Obi-Wan deflected the strike with ease and immediately dragged his blade alongside the crimson saber to the side, tossing it away from Maul's hand. Before he could react, Maul was already on Kenobi's mercy, the blue blade pointed toward his head.

He ground his teeth but remained quiet. For a moment Obi-Wan kept his stoic gaze at him but it quickly turned into one of sorrow and apparent guilt, which once again surprised Maul.

"I am sorry Maul, for everything I've taken from you. But unwillingly I set you on a better path than the one you'd have had had that day on Naboo been different."

Maul's anger grew, but he kept it at bay. He curiously wanted to hear what his adversary.

"The Sith would have only made your life a bigger torture than the one you've endured and you know it. They already made ours a huge one. And even after all you've done to me, I want you to know I will never hate you."

He deactivated his blade, taking it to the Force to decide what would happen next.

"And I will not fight you." Obi-Wan tossed his lightsaber aside, once again confusing Maul. He knelt to meet his opponent's eyes, and the two stared at each other, unaware of what the other would do.

"We have already suffered enough in our lifetime. Let us not make each other suffer. I am sorry Maul, for everything."

At that moment Maul did not know how to react. This act of openness totally caught him off guard, more than the saber move Kenobi had done to disarm him.

He still hated him. He would forever hate Obi-Wan Kenobi. But right now he could not give in to his hatred and attack the Jedi kneeling in front of him.

He growled, pulling his and Kenobi's lightsaber to his hands. He stood up and ignited both blades, aiming them against his nemesis' head. Obi-Wan remained on his knees with his eyes closed.

"So be it" He murmured. Obi-Wan knew he'd already accomplished his life goal: protecting the boy so that one day he could topple the Emperor and the Sith. Luke had even managed to bring his father back to the Light, something he believed was impossible at the time. But if Darth Vader could be redeemed, so could Darth Maul.

Or at least he hoped, and apparently he was proven wrong.

But Kenobi had died before, and he was not afraid of it. He had tried, and that was what mattered.

"The someone in the desert." Maul said, still holding the blades "You are thinking of him."

Obi-Wan glared at Maul, caught off-guard to the former's Sith probing of his mind.

"Yes." The Jedi Master said back.

"Did he avenge us?" Maul remembered Kenobi mentioning the boy was the Chosen One meant to destroy the Sith right before he died. It would be just as fair to know what had happened before he would strike down the Jedi.

Obi-Wan nodded "Both Sidious and Vader, gone. He defeated them."

Though he knew this was one of the possible answers, the impact of it was something Maul couldn't have predicted. His revenge against Palpatine was indeed fulfilled, even if not by his hand. The old bastard got what he deserved.

"If it serves as any consolation, I died in the process." Obi-Wan added, smirking "I guess you could say this is hell indeed."

Maul chuckled, making Kenobi look at him frowning. The Zabrak let out another chuckle, and another until he was full-on laughing in amusement. He retracted the lightsabers and dropped them to the ground, containing his laugh.

His revenge had been fully enacted. Not exactly as he'd wished it to be, as others did the work for him, but still. All of his enemies paid the price for their actions against him.

And if he was dead, so was Kenobi. He couldn't be lying, otherwise, how would the two of them be reunited and rejuvenated?

"If it were hell, it wouldn't be kind to any of us." Maul said, catching Kenobi's attention. He then lifted the Jedi's lightsaber with the Force and moved it toward him, who picked it with hand. Maul walked over to Obi-Wan, summoning his own lightsaber to his belt, and extended a hand to his rival.

"I will never forgive you Kenobi, but I will tolerate you."

Obi-Wan grinned and took Maul's hand. Clipping his saber to his robes, he looked around to the vast white desert surrounding them. There was nothing different in sight, and he knew this wasn't an afterlife.

"If we are to discover what this place is, we'll have to work together." Obi-Wan said, trying to figure out a path to follow.

Maul rolled his eyes and began walking without second thought, Kenobi following him close by.

"Once we figure out where we are and how to survive in here we will part ways. I won't stand to look at your face every day Kenobi."

Obi-Wan held back a chuckle "Oh yes, this is the beginning of a great friendship."

 **Now that my creativity is back on 100%, I promise to fully devote my free time to continue this story. Expect at least another chapter before New Year's Eve.**

 **Remember to review so that I know what you guys think of the trama and how I can continue and/or improve the narrative. It helps me a great deal!**

 **Now, I will be talking about my other works.**

 **As some of you may know, after The Last Jedi came out I had a fic named "Destiny of the Chosen Ones" which was supposed to be an exploration of the events leading up to The Rise of Skywalker (or whatever I envisioned Episode 9 to be at the time) kinda like a Clone Wars/Rebels story style (with some Reylo, sorry). Now that TROS is out, my plans for that story have halted, and I don't know how to continue it, and I'd like you guys to help me. Should I continue it with my vision, mold it into fitting the plot of The Rise of Skywalker or leave it be?**

 **Now, SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 9!**

 **.**

 **.**

 **I liked the movie. It could have been better but they did a mostly good job with the premise they were going for. But as you know, I was rooting for that kiss, and he died at the end. I left the cinema unsatisfied with that and already cooked up the idea of a fic that follows up the end of TROS. I don't like altering or messing up with the Canon so in this story, I'd develop what the Galaxy is like after the events on Exegol and the relationship between Rey and Ben Solo, as well as a good twist that I feel wouldn't break Star Wars Canon, but actually expand upon a concept introduced to it by Rebels. So, are you guys down for a fic like that? If so, let me know too!**

 **As for this story, it will become a big focus in my free time. Now that I'm finally graduated and have some time to rest, it will be a great opportunity to train and improve my English as well as to provide you guys with some very necessary FanFiction. I hope you enjoy what I have planned for The Encounters!**

 **Thank you for reading, and remember:**

 **May the Force be with you.**

 **Always.**


	4. Chapter 4 : Pals

**Told ya I'd be more focused in this story**

 **Just to clear things up before we begin, this is the last storyline I'll be setting up for the narrative as I don't want to drag the plot for too long and also not have a too overcrowded story to the point you can't keep up with the characters. But don't worry, many more people will be appearing here.**

 **So the POV we'll be following in this story are the ones shown previously (Anakin/Rey, Dooku/Kylo, Han/Chewie/Padme and Kenobi/Maul) and the new one to be introduced in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 4 : Pals

The Sun blazed in the blue clear sky, it's intensity feeling like a scorch in the skin. They had walked what seemed like miles, and although they did find a new landscape in the barren desert, it was still just as inhospitable.

"Perhaps if we go up the sand dunes we can have a better idea of where we should head."

Finn swept the sweat from his forehead, already panting and feeling dehydrated.

"You wanna go up that thing, do it yourself. I'm too tired." He said, leaning on his knees.

"C'mon, where'd the First Order trooper training go? The quicker we go, the sooner we'll find a spot to rest."

"There's no rest in this desert Poe!"

The Resistance Pilot put his around Finn's shoulder "Just like Jakku."

Poe let out a breath of confidence and started making his way up the dune, while Finn kept complaining.

"Just like Jakku, that's the problem!" He exclaimed but seeing that it was to no avail, Finn also began going up.

It was a huge white dune that blended with the lifeless bright landscape of the straight desert they'd woken up to. Neither of them knew how they had gotten there since their last memories were about heading to rest at the base in Ajan Kloss.

"You think the General dropped us off here for a secret mission? Maybe there's a First Order outpost we're supposed to raid?" Finn asked, careful not to stumble on his way to the top.

"She'd have relayed us information, pal. And supplies too, not just our blasters and holodiscs. Whoever got us here certainly wanted us to disappear."

"The First Order left us here? Then this means they have found the base!"

"The Order wants us dead Finn, they'd have shot on sight." Poe explained, stopping for a moment to catch his breath "But you're right, someone must have found the base for us to be here. Whoever it is, we gotta find a way off-planet soon."

"Yeah sure, let's make an X-Wing out of sand. God, I hate sand!" Finn said, discomforted by the coarse feeling in his feet.

Poe chose to ignore Finn's complains as they managed to get to the top of the dune, being greeted by the vast image of...

More endless sand dunes.

"Alright, this is hopeless. Where do we go now?" Although getting slightly annoyed by Finn, Poe too felt his disappointing reaction. There was no apparent place to head off to, and time was running short. They needed shelter, otherwise,f they might not survive the cold desert night. And if they do, they'll need water, for if they don't they would certainly not make it through the next day.

"I don't know man, I'm out of guesses." Poe sat on the hot sand, but he didn't care. Holding his head on his hands, he couldn't think of what to do any longer. The harsh environment was getting the better out of the Pilot and the former Stormtrooper, and their options were null.

"Dammit." cursed Finn, moving his head like a bird looking for crumbs "Dammit!"

He took his jacket and threw it off the dune, then his blaster.

"If only we could talk to som-" He was about to throw his holodisc as well when Poe grabbed his hand, a look of awareness in his eyes which Finn immediately realized the reason.

He opened his hand as they glared at the holodisc. That could be the answer.

"We gotta see if there's a channel to connect that thing. Let's see if ours sync up." Poe said, taking his own disc and adjusting the controls.

"Alright, I'm in frequency 01. You ready?" Finn asked, and Poe nodded. Upon turning the devices in, their images appeared in each others' holodiscs, confirming that there indeed was a channel to communicate.

They laughed in accomplishment but quickly their minds got back to important matters "Let's try all the frequencies we can. If there's someone out there, we're surely gonna reach them." Poe said, and the two were soon attempting to establish contact in any possible way. It didn't matter if the First Order caught up to where they were, at the moment what mattered was if there was anyone to find on this planet.

Though still troubling, the hellish Sun no longer proved to be a major problem, as they now had hope. And if they both had learned something in their time with the Resistance was that hope was the strongest weapon one could have.

But nearly an hour had passed and once again their options were running low. Nearly all the frequencies had been tested and no response ever came, and the Sun was beginning to get low, which meant a freezing night was about to come.

"Poe, we should try again tomorrow. Right now it'd be best for us to leave this dune and find somewhere to rest."

"No I know someone's out there, we just gotta try harder!" Poe replied, fixated on the little device in his hands. Finn walked over to him and put his hands over his holodisc, catching the Pilot's attention.

"We tried enough for today. Let's go before sunset settles in." For a moment Poe hesitated, but he understood Finn's point. They needed to survive if they were to go past the night.

But when they both got up Finn's holodisc began beeping, and they both goggled at each other stunned.

"Is it you?"

"No" Poe replied, his holodisc turned off in his hand, which could only mean one thing:

Someone was contacting them.

Finn immediately pulled up his device and took a deep breath " _Please be the Resistance, please be the Resistance_ "

Accepting the call, they spoke faster than their eyes.

"GENER-"

"al?" Poe was the only one to finish the word, though his strangeness was shared by Finn.

It was Leia. Clearly, it was Leia Organa, but something wasn't right about her. She looked younger, way younger than even they remembered her. In fact, she looked exactly like she did during the Imperial Era, as Poe recognized by the old war hero holos he had as a child. She had a big braid on the back of her hair and she had a white outfit, unlike any of the Resistance uniforms she usually wore but more akin to the clothing of the old Rebel Alliance."

"Poe? Finn? You two are also here?" She asked. For a moment they were both too startled to speak but Finn managed to break the silence first.

'Y-Yes General, we-we are too."

"Leia, what is happening. I mean, don't get me-"

"I know." Leia said interrupting Poe "I just... I can't explain it. I last remember being on Ajan Kloss when I fell asleep and suddenly I woke here like... this."

"With a blaster and a holodisc." Finn spoke, still trying to process how Leia looked.

"Precisely. I remember everything up to yesterday but my body... I don't know what happened..."

"Leia, right now we need to meet up, then we can look for answers. Where are you?"

"I just found a cave. We should try to encounter tomorrow, the night is about to fall and we don't know what could wander here in the dark."

"But General, we gotta focus on staying together. You're alone and-"

Once again, Leia cut Poe off "We gotta focus on surviving Poe. And apparently, I'm not an old lady anymore, so I can handle myself. As for you two, watch each other's back and find some sort of shelter. I will be connected to frequency B9. As soon as you wake up, contact me and we will try to meet up."

They both nodded in agreement. Leia was always keen on being precise with objectives, and in this time of desperation, this was exactly what Finn and Poe needed.

"Alright General. Stay safe, we will find out what this is together." Poe said, trying to hide the awe in his eyes.

"May the Force be with you." Leia's hologram disappeared and the two Resistance fighters were left with more questions than before.

"Was she that pretty when she was young?" Finn asked, getting Poe to roll his eyes at him.

"I'm more concerned about why she is like that now. This doesn't make any sense Finn. Something or someone is playing an intricate game and we have to discover what the hell is going on."

"Once we get up, we try to meet up with the General and then we can start finding the answers. Right now we gotta rest. Sun's already touching the horizon." Finn said, and they both got up in consent.

"I'm going down the dune to take my stuff. Might be better for us to stay there to avoid too much wind."

"Go, I'll join you soon. Just gonna figure out a possible path for us to follow." Poe said, with Finn already making his way down. Poe's mind was overloaded with doubts and worries now. How was Leia rejuvenated? Was that even Leia, or some sort of trick made by some crazy galactic kidnapper?

Whatever the answer was, he knew they'd soon figure this all out. With hope.

Finn had just gotten to the feet of the dune. His jacket and blaster were a bit covered in sand, but nothing a little shaking couldn't get away, but he was sure annoyed how sand was able to get everywhere with ease.

As he picked up his belongings, the holodisc began beeping again. He pulled it to his hands and activated, but whoever called him immediately turned it off, so no image was formed, however, Finn could swear he'd heard a sort of growl in the audio, though much deeper than Chewie's and somewhat more robotic.

" _Must be interference. Leia might have accidentally activated hers again._ " He thought, putting his jacket on.

The light of the day was almost gone and Poe still remained up the dune. He was eyeing possible routes through the desert when suddenly his sight caught something moving under the sand by the feet of the dune. And it was heading directly toward Finn.

"Poe, you might wanna come down h-"

"FINN, LOOK OUT!"

Finn barely had any time to react when out of a sudden something burst out of the ground beneath him, the impact throwing him meters away. Worst of all, it had spread sand all around, getting into his eyes and difficulting his viewing.

Poe watched as the creature emerged from the sand. He couldn't make out its shape, but he was certain it was above 7 feet tall. And it was heading toward Finn.

"Goddamn it, I can't see anything!" Finn said, running his hands in his eyes to get the sand off.

"FINN HOLD ON, I'M COMING!" Poe shouted, and the creature turned it's gaze to the Pilot, nearly freezing him with fear.

Finn opened his eyes to see the apparent monster in front of him.

"Okay, I wish I still couldn't see!" He grabbed his blaster and started shooting at it, missing the few first shots but managing to hit some on its arm.

And it did no effect.

The creature turned it's attention back to Finn, quickly grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. Finn stared at its bright, yellow eyes and attempted to punch the creature's head, only to get his fist hurt. It was as if it was made of steel.

In fact, its entire body seemed to be made out of steel.

Poe managed to get down the dune and started shooting at the creature. Once again the shot that hit were of no avail. The creature then took Finn's blaster and without even looking shot at Poe, hitting his blaster and knocking it off his hands.

They were at its mercy. Nothing they could do would stop it.

But then Finn noticed something. It seemed as if the creature's body was full of openings to its inner organism, so he made one last attempt to free himself.

His jacket's pocket was full of sand, so he took it into his hand and shoved it up one of the openings. Immediately the creature let go of Finn and began coughing uncontrollably. He picked his blaster and ran off to Poe, who had an injury in his hand.

"We better go now!" He said, and the two ran away the opposite direction of the creature, not stopping to catch their breath. Nearly half an hour had passed and it night had settled in, but they kept moving on.

"Okay, I think we lost him." Poe said, trying hard not to pass out of exhaustion.

"What the hell was that thing?" Finn said, nearly sucking in all of the air in the area.

"Couldn't see it clearly, but never seen anything like it. But ain't no animal resistant to blaster fire like that thing."

"Yeah, indeed." Finn got the sweat off his face and stood up, helping Poe to move. "Leia did warn us about the night, huh?"

Poe chuckled in fatigue "She knows best pal."

He then glared to his side and tapped Finn's shoulder for him to stop.

"But every once in a while we get lucky."

They turned to see a tree, alone in the desert. Although not taller than the dunes, it was still big, and the branches could certainly support the weight of a person.

"Wanna become a monster snack or go for a climb?" Poe asked, and they both laughed. Using whatever energy was left they made their way up the tree and each stood in a separate branch, close enough to see each other but far enough not to interfere with personal space.

"Tomorrow we go for the answers." Finn said, closing his eyes.

"Tomorrow." Poe repeated, and the two straight away fell asleep. They were underdogs, but if this tree symbolized anything, was that every once in awhile luck was at their side.

* * *

It took hours, but he finally got all the sand off his organs. Those pests had somehow outsmarted him, and it was infuriating. Those beings were just desert wanderers, beneath him in every way, especially combat, but they had escaped.

It was good that his master was dead, otherwise, the shame would have been overwhelming.

Slowly getting up, he made his way through the dark desert, a cough still leaving his lungs.

He'd located those individuals through the holodisc that he found when he had woken up, connecting it to his cognitive systems to pinpoint the origin of the signal. Maybe they could give answers if properly reached. But their reaction proved them as aggressors, desert scavengers without honor nor refining.

Then again, he was a former gladiator with no refining himself. But he knew how to make it seem so.

His impatience grew, but he was aware he wouldn't be getting answers soon. All he could do was explore the vast lifeless landscape he woke up to and attempt to find the answers out for himself.

And next time he encountered those wanderers, he'd use the lightsabers.

For no one dare shame General Grievous.

 **There you go, the longest chapter yet! I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did writing it!**

 **So the final POV we'll follow is gonna be Poe and Finn's. I know it's sort of like impossible odds for them to meet up in this wtf crossover scenario, but that's the point. Forget the questions, go with the flow. I loved their chemistry in TFA and missed in TLJ. TROS did expand a bit upon it but it wasn't enough in my opinion. Therefore exploring them as the fifth POV will be quite the fun.**

 **This chapter is also starting to expand on the characters' quest to know what in the Galaxy this place is. Still not going to give out the answers, but they are questioning what it's capable of, as seen with the rejuvenating of many characters such as Leia, Han, Obi-Wan and Maul.**

 **Next chapter we will be going back to a previously seen duo, but I won't be getting too much into it just yet.**

 **Now, for the reviews:**

 **TaitanoRules555: Yes, Maul does know who Vader is, but I'm not sure if he knows who he was. In the Rebels Season 2 Finale Maul has knowledge of Vader and his role and purpose to the Empire, but he doesn't show any signs of knowing that he once was Anakin Skywalker. It will be interesting to see how this is developed in this story ;)**

 **Peregrine (Guest): I will give more details on it soon! I felt like his sacrifice was necessary, but could somehow be avoided. The idea of the fic will be exploring how it could happen without breaking SW Canon. You'll have to wait and see.**

 **Thank you all for the immense support for this story. I keep getting countless emails of follows and favorites to the story and it really does hype me up to write more. Immense gratitude for all you!**

 **If you'd like, also review so that I know what you guys liked about the story and how I can improve it!**

 **Thanks for reading, and remember:**

 **May the Force be with you.**

 **Always.**


	5. Chapter 5 : Bonds

**Happy late new year everyone! I'm sorry for the lack of updates, the beginning of the year tends to be a busy time for me, and I thank you all for your patience!**

 **I was having a bit of a creative block while trying to come up with the handling of this chapter. All the ideas I'd written just weren't feeling right, but now I finally believe I came up with the right way to tackle the dynamic I want to present. We're finally going to move the plot forward by coming back to Anakin and Rey's POV, with a little twist I think some of you will enjoy...**

 **Last but not least, thank you all for the continuous and incredible support! Reviews will be replied by the end of the chapter. If you have any doubts, praises or swearings to give review or PM me!**

 **Now, without further ado, to the chapter!**

Chapter 5 : Bonds

"But... You're dead."

The smile faded. Anakin knew it was true, he was, as far as he was concerned, dead. A brief flash appeared before his eyes as he recalled his last moments before becoming one with the Force.

 _"Tell your sister you were right..."_

Forcing himself out of the trance, he focused on the girl's expression. She was apprehensive, her insecurity pulsating through the Force like the beating heart of a Zillo Beast. She was strong with it, clearly, and the last thing Anakin wanted to have right now was a frightened Force User against him.

He turned off his lightsaber and as an act of trust threw it aside, expecting the girl to get it.

She didn't.

"What is that?"

He held on a sigh "Look, I'm not here to harm you in any way. I can sense your confusion and I am as lost as you are. But if we are to find out what is happening we gotta trust each other, okay? I trust you won't hurt me with your saber, and I have no intention of scaring you."

The girl stared at him for a brief moment before slightly nodding in agreement, retracting her saber's blade and clipping it to her belt.

Still not wanting to make her doubt him, he asked:

"May I get mine as well?"

She nodded again, and he pulled it with the Force back to his hand.

He recomposed himself, not knowing exactly where to start. Thankfully, he didn't have to.

"But if you're dead, does this mean..."

It wasn't the best way to start a conversation, but Anakin knew this topic would be brought up sooner or later. He could see a faint hopelessness emerging in the girl's eyes, and he quickly made his best to snuff it out. He'd given up on hope once in his life and he wouldn't do that ever again. He also wouldn't let anyone give up on it as well.

"No." He spoke before thinking of an explanation. The brief silence that took for him to come up with one was embarrassing and frustrating, but he could not leave it at that.

"This is not how it is." He said, and Rey raised an eyebrow to question. He frowned, trying to find the words to continue.

"When you... Pass away, this isn't how it is. What I remember was how unsettling yet calm it felt, but I had no body. it was as if my essence itself was floating through a timeless flow. The Cosmic Force."

Rey thought, and when he thought she'd understood it she came up with another doubt.

"But I read in Luke's notes, he... he communed with you, he saw you from time to time."

He remembered it then, the true feeling. It was a timeless flow, but from time to time it would allow him to slip into the world of the living. He could feel his body, but only its shell, as it materialized from the Force itself. It allowed his conscience and spirit to interact with the living, particularly with his son when he needed guidance.

"It's because when I died I transmuted my physical body into pure energy. I fully gave in to the Force, and in return it allowed me to retain my conscience to speak with the living when necessary. In the Cosmic Force, I was one with it, but when necessary it sent me to the Living Force to aid in whatever the Force required aid with, and at the time, it was mostly Luke."

"That is a lot of information." Rey remarked.

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd get it all." He gave a small grin, but it was futile given the girl was still confused.

"What matters is that this is not an afterlife if that's what you're thinking. I am sure you're not dead, as for how I'm here I really have no idea."

She remained hesitant, and Anakin knew what he had to do, even if it could shock her for a bit, it was needed to gain her trust.

"You can sense the Force."

"Yes, I can." Rey said.

"Then I'm letting my mind barriers down. You can look into my head, you'll know I'm not lying."

Before she could open her mouth he opened his mind to her, and Rey felt a sudden, abrupt wave of emotions, feelings, and memories flow to her head. It was overwhelming, but she managed to focus on one specific memory.

A village up on the treetops of a forest, with a huge campfire at its center with several beings celebrating around it. Looking to her right, she saw many familiar faces: Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie and the droids. Apart from the latter, they all looked younger and had huge smiles implanted on their faces. She noticed Luke gazing at her and nodding in acknowledgment, and she turned around to see three figures with blue auras around them observing the celebration.

One was a little green being who was sitting next to an old, bearded man. And next to that man was him.

Anakin Skywalker.

She was on her knees when the memory faded away, Anakin standing next to her in worry

"I'm sorry." He said, helping her to stand up. "I'm truly sorry, I know it was too-"

"No." She said, raising a hand to cut him off "It's okay. You were saying the truth."

Anakin let out a sigh, relief taking over his worrying thoughts "So, do you trust me now?"

She looked at him and after a couple of seconds nodded "For now, at least."

Anakin chuckled, and this time Rey nearly let a grin form in her face.

"It's all I needed to hear. Now let's see if we can figure out where the hell we are."

Looking around, only the endless white landscape came into view and the sun's heat rippling the horizon.

"Thank god I grew up on a desert planet, otherwise I'd be frying out here." Anakin said, catching Rey's attention.

"You too?"

"What do you mean?" Anakin said, immediately recognizing this as the perfect opportunity to know just who this girl Rey was. Therefore, he'd play the curiosity game "Where are you from?"

Rey immediately flinched. She didn't like being asked where she came from, for honestly even she didn't know. Up until joining the Resistance all she'd know where the junkyards near Nimma Outpost.

"Nowhere." She answered.

"No one's really from-"

"Jakku." She said before he could finish, before feeling a bit ashamed of herself.

"Alright, that pretty much is nowhere." He scoffed, and Rey looked at him incredulously.

"You really are his father."

"Luke's?"

"He'd said the same thing when we met."

Anakin frowned "You met Luke?"

"Yes, I tried to convince him to train me. He gave me a few lessons but honestly it was against his will. He'd been on exile and didn't want to be found."

Anakin suddenly remembered. He'd attempted to reach out to Luke after an incident had happened to his Jedi Academy. He didn't know what it was, only that the Force had been thrown out of balance, and the next thing he knew he couldn't find Luke.

"You said you came to Luke when the Force needed it."

"And I did."

Rey crossed her arms "Then how come when he needed you the most you didn't talk to him?"

Anakin sighed "He wouldn't let me. I couldn't commune with him, whenever I tried to reach for his presence it was as if I'd hit a wall."

And realization dawned in Rey's eyes "Because he'd had cut himself off from the Force."

Anakin nodded "At first I believed he'd died, but if he had he'd have joined with me in the Cosmic Force. Master Yoda was the one who told me the details, and I couldn't believe it. Not until Luke himself explained it to me."

"When did you meet with Luke?" She asked.

"After his passing, unfortunately. I'd been so frustrated by everything but in the end, I know he made the right decision."

Rey rolled her eyes "Killing himself was not the right decision, we needed him. We still do."

"We who?" He asked.

"The Resistance!" She exclaimed but noticed by the frowning he didn't know what it was "Leia."

Another wave of sentiment hit Anakin. He remembered sensing the grief, sorrow, and sadness that emanated from his daughter after Luke's death. He'd never appeared before her and willingly chose not to, as he knew of the pain he'd inflicted on her during his time as a Sith. So he sent waves of comfort and reassurance to her, expecting it to lift her hopes.

"I know. I helped her after that. Indirectly, but I did. And it helped her understand the message of his sacrifice."

"What message?"

"Hope. That as long as you defy what puts you down, there will always be a way up. That no matter how hard it is to overcome an obstacle, if you have faith and courage anything is possible. It's how I sensed she'd forgiven his death and honored that message."

Rey took a moment to let that sink in. All this time she believed it had been merely a diversion done to buy time for the Resistance to escape the First Order's attack, but then the story had spread, and it indeed had managed to make the cause grow. At first, she was upset that Leia had moved on from her brother's death so quickly but Anakin's words were true. His sacrifice had given hope to cause and inspired people all across the Galaxy to rise up against tyranny.

"I'd never thought of it that. I was just so worried about how to complete my training without a master that I ignored the meaning of his actions."

"And the lesson." Anakin finished, and Rey turned to him.

"What lesson?"

"That confronting fear is the destiny of a Jedi. When all hope is lost, we are the beacon that inspires it to return, it's what the Jedi were always meant to be."

He moved closer to her, unclipping his saber and holding it in his hands while looking at hers. Now he'd noticed that, although it certainly was the same saber, hers had a band around the middle of the hilt, probably a repair to some damage taken in battle.

He smiled "I guess you were the one he was talking about."

"He spoke of me?" Her eyes were filled with awe and admiration.

"He was vague about a lot of things. He assured me that balance would be brought back through a new Chosen One, and it would be the new hope to emerge and redeem what is corrupted."

"Chosen One?"

He smirked "We've got a lot to talk about."

Sunset was close when he'd finished telling her the entire prophecy of the one destined to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force. He believed he'd been the one to do so and as far as he was concerned, the Sith were no more in the realm of the Living Force. But when his son mentioned that a new one had emerged, he became worried. What kind of dark force could have become so powerful do threaten the balance?

His son hadn't mentioned what it was, and although he was curious about it, he knew better than to ask questions. He felt Luke use the Force to guide his explanations to him, and if it wished to be vague then it should remain so. Now that he knew the new Chosen One was this girl Rey, he'd listened enough.

"I can't believe he thinks I am all of this." She said as they walked through the desert.

"Don't get your expectations up, kid, you still need a lot of training. I can sense you are strong with the Force, but as you said, Luke didn't teach you everything."

"Leia's been training me with the knowledge she has. It isn't much, but it's helping me to get a better grasp of my powers."

Anakin smiled. He knew his daughter had shortly trained to become a Jedi. As to why she stopped he was clueless, and even Luke wouldn't tell him.

"Even so, you might want some help from a full-fledged Jedi. I know some things she doe-WOAH!"

He falls to the ground head first, his head kissing the white sand on the ground, which was awkwardly moist.

"Clearly looking where you walk isn't one of them." She said, holding a giggle.

"Wait." He gets up running his hand through his face, feeling tiny dots of water. He looks around to notice pebbles and rocks in a wide circle.

"Okay Rey, let's see if you can help me with this. Reach out, tell me what you sense in here."

Rey closes her eyes and slightly raises her hand, letting the environment fill up her thoughts "I see... A pond, a small one."

"Okay, now focus on it. Don't let your thoughts break away from it."

Rey concentrated, focusing her energy directly to the circle of rocks.

"Now, you know how to pull and push things with the Force, right?"

She holds herself from giving him an eye roll "It's Jedi training basics."

"Good, so think of this as a puzzle. You'll have to do both at the same time. Keep your attention to the pond."

Rey did as instructed. Anakin noticed her struggle as the rocks started to react to her will, but after a long minute she let out a sigh of frustration.

"I can't do it. I can't do both at the same time."

"It's just like a muscle, you'll have to practice it. I will do it now, but if you'll allow me, I'll teach you more about your powers."

Rey giggled "I can't escape the lecturing of the Skywalkers, can I?"

Anakin smirked "You might very well become one, then." He reached out and instantly the rocks in the circle were buried in the sand, making water rise to the surface due to the pressure put to the soil.

Rey's eyes widened in amazement as she cracked up a small smile "But... How did you..."

He spoke before she could finish "You think I'd shove my head on the sand for no reason?"

After slaking their thirst as they could they settled around the pond. The sunlight was almost gone and a long night awaited them.

"At least we've got plenty of water now." Rey said, holding back a yawn. Just because she'd grown up in a desert planet it didn't mean the blazing sun wouldn't be draining. She was tired, but thankfully hydrated now.

"Yeah, if only we had bottles to bring some of it with us. Tomorrow we should keep moving, this may be a mini oasis but staying here won't give us many answers." He lied down in the ground, using a flat rock as a sort of pillow "Get some rest, kid. It's gonna be harsh but we can pull it through."

"Sir, yes sir." She replied, lying down herself. They were each at opposite ends of the pond to not disturb each other.

She closed her eyes, but although her body needed rest, her mind wouldn't allow it. She guessed an hour had passed and she still couldn't fall asleep.

She sat up, turning her gaze toward Anakin, who was deep in his sleep already. She stopped herself from giggling at the low snoring noises he was making. Never would she imagine finding Luke's father, much less seeing him snore.

But her mind quickly returned to her concerns. Anakin said this wasn't the afterlife, so what was it? This couldn't be a farse, she knew it wasn't. The essence Anakin had opened up for her to feel was undoubtedly his, and she noticed the Force felt... uneasy in this place.

But most of all, she worried about her friends. Were Finn, Poe and Rose here? What about Leia? She didn't have any way to contact her as far as she knew, and again, the Force wasn't keen on behaving properly in this place. It was a mystery she and Anakin would uncover as they made their way through this world.

She got up to get more water. She was satisfied but felt like a little more might help her fall asleep.

After finishing it she took her wet hands and ran them through her hair. After joining the Resistance she'd become used to taking showers, and now she felt like she needed one.

 _"If he wasn't here, I'd jump in this pond right now."_ She thought, ready to return to her spot.

But when she did, she felt a shift in the Force. The pond had become blurred and Anakin was completely out of sight. Her head ached for the briefest moment but when it stopped she sensed a presence, a presence she hadn't felt since...

Looking at her spot she saw who she sensed. Black attire, a dark cape and long hair.

It was _him_.

Rey froze in place when he gazed at her, and as if he'd seen a ghost he backed up. She sensed disbelief and surprise, but from who she wasn't sure.

He got up but didn't try to step forward, she too standing still. The tension swirling in the air as they stared at each others' eyes, not knowing how to react.

He spoke up first.

"Rey."

She gulped. She wanted to hate him, not forgive him for all he'd done, to despise everything that composed the mask he kept wearing.

She had a thousand questions and swearings for him.

And yet, she couldn't. She could only remember the vision she had when they touched hands.

She only managed to sputter one word.

"Ben."

And with a blink of an eye, he was gone, but not his presence. Though she was not sure where exactly he was, she knew he was in that place, and she felt afraid and insecure once more.

 _He is here._

 _Ben, you're here._

 **I'm sorry if this chapter felt dragged out, but I just couldn't find a better way to develop Anakin and Rey's interactions. The narrative will start to go into the exploration of the place from now on, and many, MANY more characters will appear.**

 **Now, for the reviews:**

 **TaitanoRules555: I'll do my best to keep up with it, thank you!**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguiça-do-mundo: Obrigado! Well, the idea for this story came to me in a gameplay of Battlefront II's Heroes vs Villains, so I hope I'm doing it justice!**

 **rainingsun2811: Thank you! I hope I can keep it as amazing as possible!**

 **Thank you all for reading, and remember:**

 **May the Force be with you.**

 **Always.**


	6. Chapter 6 : Non-Collected

**Once again I apologize for being inactive in the past weeks. Life just tends to get busier as you get older, huh?**

 **But I hope it is a well-deserved wait for today we head back to see how a certain Dark Side duo is doing...**

 **(Thank you all for the follows and reviews! If you have any doubts, suggestions or comments to make leave your opinion or PM me!)**

 **Without further ado, here is the new chapter!**

Chapter 6 : Non-Collected

"Ben."

And with that name, _that cursed name_ , she was gone, leaving him alone to his now raging, troubled thoughts.

It was enough to process that he apparently was in the afterlife, he now had to deal with the knowledge that _she_ was in this place too.

And the most unnerving of it all was that for some reason, it wasn't the idea that they'd have to interact and possibly face-off in the near future that unsettled him.

It was the idea that _she_ was there, in the afterlife, with him. If all the evidence lined up, it meant she was gone, as he was. No longer breathing, her soul trapped in this otherworld with no way to return to the living. He was surprisingly alright with the idea of him being dead, it was almost like an unfelt relief actually.

But _her_? It couldn't be, no. It twisted his stomach to just think about it, and even some glum sparked in his mind. He attempted to fight off these feelings to no avail, reminding himself that _she_ was the enemy, _she_ had rejected her destiny.

 _She_ had rejected _him._ He'd offered her power, the Galaxy, everything, and still, _she_ refused it all.

And as much as he wanted to hate her, to let the anger deepen his hatred for her, he couldn't bring himself to do it. She just had to be that midget of thought that whenever inside his head, he'd feel conflicted and worried, just as he was now.

And these feelings that kept troubling him made him more and more agitated. Again, he didn't matter for her, why would she matter to him?

His conscious-self told him she didn't either, but for some reason, a part of him said otherwise.

"Why so unbalanced, young Ren?"

Speaking of afterlife evidence, his would prove to be an issue to handle. The Bond was already trouble enough to deal with by himself, to keep it from the man behind him would be even more, considering he was a once-revered Jedi Master-turned Sith Lord.

Although he didn't flinch, he did get disturbed by the Count's sudden inquiry. Immediately he put his mental barriers up so that he wouldn't try to pierce into his mind for an explanation. Like he'd done the whole day, he could ignore him for the night as well.

"Avoiding my questions won't work forever, boy. I can be patient for answers. Can you?"

Lying down with his back to the Count he forcefully closed his eyes, desperately seeking to fall asleep as fast as he'd been woken up.

"Your mental shields aren't working. I can sense the despair in your mind, something tipping you off to the edge of sanity."

He kept himself from speaking, but the insecurity surging through him instilled a sense of dread in his chest, but for what for exactly he wasn't sure.

Dooku sighed, turning around and lying his head back to his cape, which he'd folded into a sort of pillow.

"I'll leave you at peace, but you know your thoughts won't. If we are to survive in this place, we will need to trust each other. Hopefully, in the morning you will get it."

For a moment, the area was quiet. But as much as Ren wanted to control his emotions it seemed like his body couldn't contain it anymore, but he wasn't willing to share that with a stranger, especially one that could turn that into an exploitable weakness.

The Count wanted answers, so he'd give him answers. But with a catch. He needed to understand how this man thought, so he'd use this as an advantage.

Sitting and turning around he saw Dooku still lying with his back facing him, and he presumed he was fast asleep. He decided he'd talk to him when the sun rose and was about to lie back again when the man got up and sit cross-legged, looking at him.

"I assume you are ready, then?"

Kylo held a gulp and took a deep breath "You want to know about what happened after your death, don't you?"

Dooku's eyes narrowed "That would be interesting, indeed. But first, tell me what you know of me. Who is Count Dooku to your knowledge?"

Fortunately, Kylo had always been keen quite the scholar ever since before he'd even gone to train as a Jedi. He was always more curious than his peers at school, the temple, and the First Order when it came to learning about galactic history. He'd look for more than one source and question how past events were written, attempting to get a broad, non-sided view of what had occurred in the past.

And thanks to leftover Imperial databanks he'd managed to acquire a few of the Emperor's old archives, some Sith in origin that detailed a little bit about the man in front of him.

"You were the right heir of the house of Dooku in Serenno. You left the Jedi Order after becoming disillusioned with their ideals alongside a growing dissatisfaction with the Republic, which consequently led you to join the Sith and creating the Separatist movement."

Dooku nodded slightly "A brief, but a concrete summary."

Ren continued.

"You led the Separatists throughout the Clone Wars and reportedly died near its end in a battle above Coruscant."

For the briefest moment, Kylo sensed discomfort pass through the Count "Go on."

Kylo merely adjusted his sitting "That's all."

"All what?"

"All that is known of you. At least to those who do their proper research." He replied, seeing if he could make the Count get stressed.

"What do you mean 'proper research'?" Dooku asked, confused.

"For the Galaxy, you were just another Jedi in the plot to overthrow the Republic, the Empire did a good job at hiding the truth. I only know what I know due to the Emperor's private files."

"Empire? The Emperor?" Dooku questioned yet again, wondering if he was referring to the plan and the one he was thinking of.

Ren nearly grinned when he kept going "Shortly after your death the war was over. The Jedi were wiped out and the Republic was replaced by the Galactic Empire, with the former Chancellor proclaiming himself as to its Emperor."

Dooku stared down for a second, processing the information. So all along he'd been but a tool to Sidious' plan, a means to an end, yet never a part to that ending. He should have foreseen such treachery, after all, it was the way of the Sith. But to know it so concretely ashamed him.

"You were just a pawn in Palpatine's game. You played your part and when you fulfilled it, your use had come to an end. These were his final statements on you."

Dooku kept processing it. His actions weren't even regarded in any high merit. He'd been played like a Dejarik piece, and his legacy was to be remembered as one. The once glorious Count of Serenno, reduced to a side note in history.

Kylo stared in silence as he let the Count go through the information. It was certainly shocking, but that was the point of it. If Dooku would torment him about his feelings, he would do the same. It was a game that could be played by two.

"Why so unbalanced, Count?"

Dooku's eyes quickly met his own at the mirroring of words, and he saw a change in them, from brown to a reddish yellow.

Before he could react Dooku reached his hand out, lifting Ren of the ground and making his gasp for air. Dooku stood up, tightening the pinch of his fingers and Kylo felt the air leave his lungs.

"You dare torment me, boy?"

Suddenly, blue bright lightning left the Count's hand, hitting Kylo and sending him back to the ground, the pain unbearable.

He screamed in agony as Dooku raised his other hand, intensifying his strikes as the memories stormed back to him.

 _Kill him. Kill him now._

 _I shouldn't..._

 _DO IT!_

He let go of his attack, leaving Kylo numb on the ground. Smoke appeared through the scorched areas on his cape, and he was hurt but alive, and awake. Though not the reaction he'd anticipated, he did manage to break Count Dooku.

The Count dropped to his knees, and his face showed defeat, sorrow, and regret. He was near ventilating when he spoke again:

"I only ever wanted, was to bring correction to the Galaxy! That a new order was to arise and make justice by whatever means necessary, that was to be my legacy, not this!"

He remained kneeled as Kylo moved to support himself, his body still tense from the electricity. Ren leaned against his arm as he studied the Count, who had his eyes shut and hands over his legs. He panted heavily, and Ren realized he was tired, not only physically due to the sudden outburst of Force Lightning, but also mentally and emotionally. He was tired of fighting, of engagement, of suffering.

For a second Kylo wanted to just take his saber and slash it against the old man's chest, make him pay for the torture he'd just endured. But as his hand brushed against the hilt, he sensed the wave of feelings emanating from Dooku. He wasn't controlling his emotions, he wasn't even trying to block them. Dooku was done being held against his will. And that's when Kylo felt it.

The feeling of betrayal, of loss and somewhat longing the Count had was just like his. Though for different reasons, it was undeniable that right now, they were the same person.

And subconsciously Kylo moved his hand away from the hilt, and he raised it toward Dooku, sending reassurance through the Force. He wasn't good at showing emotion even with his face, but something inside of him said it was the right thing to do.

Dooku gave a weak chuckle as he gazed at Ren "You are horrible at that, my boy."

Kylo dropped his hand and sensed the shame overtaking him. After all, how was he supposed to give someone reassurance if he himself had never been given any during his whole life?

The shame was starting to turn into resentment when Dooku spoke again:

"But I can teach you how to learn it."

His brow slightly rose as he realized what the Count was suggesting.

"You are powerful young Ren. You have strength like no other, a strength I haven't felt in a long time. But you lack the training and discipline to control it. I can help you master your power."

Kylo scoffed "As a Sith?"

Dooku's eyebrows tensed "My boy, I've had enough of the Sith. They used me and then cast me aside, but their teachings are still of somewhat value. I won't teach you as a Sith nor a Jedi."

"Then as what?" Ren asked.

Dooku let a smirk appear "As who you're meant to be."

Kylo thought briefly. He had raged and perturbing emotions bashing his soul, and he desperately wanted to extinguish them, and now that he knew the Bond would be present in this place too, he wanted to prevent being shaken by it like he'd been every time he saw _her_ face. Seeing how the Count was remarked and had shown to be, apart from this breakdown, a very collected individual, his proposition wasn't far fetched.

Plus, as the old man had said, if they were to survive in this place they'd need to trust each other.

With a deep breath, he said "Teach me how to keep my emotions at bay. I wish to master them."

Dooku got to his feet, motioning for Kylo to do the same "And you will, my boy."

After killing Snoke, Kylo had vowed to never again serve anyone but himself. But this offer was what he sensed he needed to finally become strong and wise, and that would be serving himself. So for now, he'd accept the guidance given by the former Sith.

"Now, Kylo Ren, before we begin you will tell me who you are. Starting by your real name."

 **So yeah, Kylo will be following some of Dooku's teachings to try and control his feelings and emotions concerning a Bond with a certain scavenger girl. I also wanted to explore what Dooku's reaction would have been if he saw what his legacy and death ultimately became of, and show an emotional side from Dooku we rarely see in any Star Wars media.**

 **Now, for the reviews:**

 **TaitanoRules555: Patience, my friend. There will be plenty of action yet to come. For now, the stakes aren't that high because there aren't too many characters interacting at once, but there certainly is a lot of tension, as seen with Dooku frying Kylo with lightning here.**

 **FreeWar: I mean, there will technically be a clone appearing soon, but I know you mean the ones like Rex, Cody or Wolffe. I'm still not sure if I'll put any characters from the animated shows yet, but further down the line, I may change my mind.**

 **Alfa123: Thank you! I hope I have the time to continue too!**

 **(Unnamed) Guest: As I said, for now, I'll use movie characters only, but I am toying with the idea of inserting Ahsoka in particular at some point in the narrative.**

 **Pink ranger 13: Thank you very much! I'll try my best to continue it regularly with uploads and quality!**

 **deafeningtoast: I figured Anakin and Rey would make a good convo, I mean both are stubborn, witty and unnaturally powerful in the Force with no explanation whatsoever! (Aside for Ani being the literal Chosen One). I hope you like their future interactions as much!**

 **Thank you all for reading, and remember:**

 **May the Force be with you.**

 **Always.**


	7. Chapter 7 : The Queen and the Scoundrels

**Hello everyone, I hope you're all doing well.**

 **I know I've taken a little while to upload yet again, but it's because I wanted to figure out how to handle this arc of the story. I have the one involving Anakin/Rey/Kylo/Dooku fully fleshed out, but the one with the non-Force Sensitive characters is proving to be a little more of a struggle. I know where I want their narratives to get them, I'm just trying to decide the best way to make them get there, if that makes sense to you.**

 **But I feel satisfied with the way this chapter turned out, and I hope you guys do too. It is lacking in action but I believe it makes up for it in character building, but for those who are hungry for some action don't worry, there's plenty of it coming.**

 **If you have any doubts, comments or suggestions leave a review or PM me!**

 **Without further ado, here's the new chapter!**

Chapter 7 : The Queen and the Scoundrels

"What do you mean, my daughter?"

Han frowned as Chewie grunted behind him.

"Yeah, I know, just slipped out!" He murmured as he turned his head to address his furry friend.

Turning his attention back to Padme, he took a deep breath.

"Alright, I guess we didn't start this the right way."

"Maybe telling me where we are would be a good way to do so." She said, still not willing to drop her blaster as the two individuals facing her.

"Look, ma'am, h-"

"You can stop calling me that."

Tilting his head in agreement and annoyance for being interrupted he continued "Padme. Like I'd said, I got no real clue for you. I have a guess though."

She nodded, allowing him to go on.

"Bear with me just a little bit, okay? It's a bit complicated."

Chewie groaned, knowing about what Han would talk about.

"Well, you got any other idea? I'm all ears!"

They stared at each other for a second before the Wookie threw his hands in the air and sat on the ground, crossing his arms and waiting for Han to share his theory.

Looking back at Padme, Han spoke:

"In summary, I'm dead." He paused for a brief moment, avoiding _that_ memory "And back when I was alive you were not."

"I see... Somehow, I know I'm not alive..." Padme still recalled in her mind the last words that left her when she took her last breath.

 _Obi-Wan... there... is good in him. I know there is... still-_

"So if you're dead and I'm too, this means..."

"This is an afterlife?" Han finished the thought for her, and she nodded, a worried expression still planted on her face "It's my guess too, and the most likely one really. Only thing contradicting it is my friend here."

Padme looked over Han's shoulder to look at the Wookie, who although still behaving like a kid that'd gotten a scolding from a parent looked back at her, his eyes invoking a brute yet gentle personality.

"Why don't you think so, Chewr..."

"Chewbacca." Han corrected her before she could mispronounce the name.

"Right. Chewbacca, can you explain it?"

Chewie growled why he didn't agree with Han, making Padme move her gaze back at the man in front of the Wookie.

"You heard him. It's what he remembers anyway."

Chewie grumbled back at Han, annoyed.

"I may be absent-minded but I do remember dying!"

"Just stop bantering like that, alright?" Padme said, feeling like a mother taking care of two delinquent children.

She turned her attention back to Chewie "I mean, the last thing you remember was going to sleep. It's possible that you... Passed away while you were at it."

Chewie pressed his eyebrows, growling loudly. Han nodded, pointing at his friend.

"He's right. If anything's gonna take him down it ain't gonna be sleeping, besides he's still 235 years old, in pretty good shape for a Wookie might I add."

The Wookie barked out, the closest translation being "That's damn right."

Padme stands there, trying to hide hopelessness from her face before continuing. It sure would be hard to handle these two scoundrels.

"I know it's unlikely, but people do die in their sleep due to natural causes. You might have been unlucky and really, there's no evidence saying otherwise."

Chewie was going to reply but realized he indeed had no evidence to back up his claim. He still felt like it wasn't possible he was dead. In fact, he felt more alive than ever, and there was a feeling deep inside of him that said he was right, but he figured arguing wouldn't lead anywhere at the moment. Though he wished his Human friend would know so too.

"It might be possible but not very probable. Wookies live like half a century or so..."

Chewbacca stood up and raised his hand, signaling for Han to stop talking. Han answered by giving him a confused glance.

"Wait, you think we are in an afterlife or not?" Padme asked him

Keeping his confused face Han replied "I'm just lost to be really honest with you."

Padme rolled her eyes, finally putting her pistol back to its holster. She gave them a small grin to imply they too could pick up their blasters.

"Okay, 'wherever' we are, we'll have to stick together to make it through whatever might happen." Padme said, facing the endless desert horizon. The sun blazed atop of them, and she could feel she'd get a few sunburns sooner or later unless they could find some cover soon. Deciding there was no time to waste, she started walking.

Han and Chewie looked at each other, then around, trying to see if there was a better path to follow but everything looked the same in that landscape.

"Are you coming or not?" Padme shouted, already a good distance away from them.

"Right behind you ma- Padme!" Han replied, taking the dust off his DL-44 and also putting it back to its holster.

"Now I know where Leia gets her initiative thinking from." He said. Chewie nodded as they followed, catching up with the woman ahead.

They walked for what seemed like hours, which probably was considering the sun was close to setting. They exchanged few words as they traveled the lifeless terrain, though Padme did get to learn how Chewie and Han met and a few of their earlier adventures. However, whenever the subject got close to mentioning either Luke or Leia, Han would quickly change it.

He still wasn't sure how to bring it up with Padme. Leia had told him about her real mother and how she'd died when she was born, and how strangely he had glimpses of how she was like when alive. After getting more insight into the Jedi when she trained with Luke she deduced those glimpses were due to the Force showing her memories passed on through her birth, though Han thought it was a bunch of nonsense.

Then again, he believed the Force itself was nonsense until he met a farm boy and an old hermit looking for a quick way off Tatooine, so he didn't doubt it that much.

As sunset drew nearer, and no apparent shelter or change in the desert appeared up ahead, they decided they'd spare whatever energy they'd left to go on in the morning.

They sat in a circle, with Padme intentionally staying a bit further away from Han and Chewie. They were standing together, but it didn't mean she completely trusted the two. She still had a question she wanted to make them, more specifically to Han.

"The first thing we gotta focus on is finding water. We're not gonna last long in here if we don't hydrate ourselves." Han explained to them.

Chewie growled, and Han agreed "You're right, we better leave a bit before dawn so we don't get too much of that scorching sun."

Padme gave a nod "It might be better if we keep a watch during the night. We don't know what could be out there. I can take the first hour."

"Are you sure? I can go first if you're-"

"I'm not that tired." It was a lie, but she needed some time for herself while conscious before she could rest "You boys can sleep for now."

Chewbacca didn't complain as he loudly yawned and laid on his back, immediately falling asleep. Han was going to object but he too felt like he'd spent the whole day carrying the _Millenium Falcon_ around, and he needed to close his eyes. He laid down, resting his head on his arm as he drifted into sleep.

Making sure they wouldn't notice her, Padme turned around and grabbed the holodisc she'd woken up with in this place and projected an image of her. She analyzed it with wonder, confusion, awe, and concern. She felt alive, too alive actually. She hadn't felt full of will and life like that in a long time, considering the constant stress she'd been feeling in the last months with politics, the war, and most of all, her personal life.

Her stomach wasn't big as it had been for the past nine months, instead being fit as it usually had been. She remembered having to conceal her pregnancy from everyone she knew so she could not endanger _him_ and their positions within the Jedi Order and the Senate, respectively. She remembered the joy, love, and relief she'd felt when she saw _him_ coming back from rescuing the Chancellor, and sharing the news of their child with _him_. The worry as _he_ told her about his dream and his desperate reaction to it.

The dread as she saw _him_ becoming someone she couldn't recognize anymore and the dark deeds he'd committed. The sadness that came with the realization that _he_ was gone, and whoever she'd found on Mustafar was a completely different entity.

And finally, the small glimmer of hope as she found out she had given birth to twins, and for the briefest moment before her death, how their presence felt pure and bright with light, and how at that exact moment another light shimmered far away.

And that's how she knew, in her last breath, that there was still good in _him_.

Tears ran down her cheeks as the memories flashed in her mind, the flux of emotions overwhelming her senses. She gathered herself back together, turning off the holodisc and staring at the horizon, trying to empty her head. But the more she tried, the more it stuck on one question...

"It's been an hour."

She almost sprung up scared, but quickly recomposed her posture. Wiping the tears away, she remained with her back facing Han, who was now afraid he'd disturbed a moment of thought from Padme.

"You can go to sleep, ya know, I'll keep watch now and then I'll wake Chewie u-"

"How is she?"

Han knew who she was asking about but still wasn't sure if he was ready to talk about it.

"I'm sorry, who?"

"My daughter." She turned her head to look at Han "Leia, isn't it?"

Han nodded, thinking _"Screw it, was gonna have to address it sometime anyway."_

Padme smiled "Tell me about her."

Han sighed and sat beside Padme, noticing the tear trails across her cheeks. Choosing not to point them out, he thought carefully about how to answer her. Deep down, there weren't enough words invented to describe Leia.

"She's something out of this world. She's smart, fierce and headstrong, but above all she's compassionate. She has a heart bigger than the entire Galaxy, and even then she can seem like the most dangerous thing you could ever come across."

Padme chuckled at the last remark, getting Han to smile fondly as he remembered the good times.

"She's disciplined, but never let it hold her back from showing some temper, mostly because she always feels like she has to prove herself. I've told her she doesn't have to, but honestly, that's exactly what makes her so remarkable. She's selfless and really a symbol of hope and light. Her will is unbreakable, I think that's why I fell in love with her."

As he spoke, Padme could feel the tears forming in the back of her eyes, but she didn't care about hiding them anymore. Just hearing about her daughter brought her a feeling of accomplishment and proudness like no other.

"A Princess and a Smuggler, who'd have thought." Han scoffed, playing with his fingers "She really is my home."

"Princess?" Padme asked.

"After you were..." He paused to think of the best way to address it "Gone, she was adopted by the Royal House of Alderaan. Breha and Bail Organa, if I'm not wrong."

Padme let a sob escape unintentionally "Bail, loyal to the end." She looked up, staring at the star-filled sky above "Thank you."

She then turned to face Han "Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."

Han gave a smile in return "I do. I may look like another scoundrel, but I do."

Wiping the last tears away, Padme got up and laid down to the spot she'd chosen to sleep in. As she rested her head over her hands, she noticed something different next to her.

A small flower. Tiny and fragile, but standing and full of life. Probably the only colored thing within this infinite desert landscape.

"A symbol of hope." Padme murmured, before closing her eyes and peacefully falling asleep.

 **There you go! I wanted to tackle the idea of what Padme would think of her children had she somehow lived and witnessed the events of the OT, and this chapter was the perfect opportunity to explore this idea. Don't worry, there will be a reaction of hers concerning Luke too.**

 **It also is a good way to build up the interactions between Han and Padme. I mean, who wouldn't want to have Han Solo as their son-in-law? I hope you guys enjoy their interactions going forward.**

 **Now, for the reviews:**

 **TaitanoRules555: Indeed you're right! Dooku and Kylo share a lot of similarities if you think about it, and I thought the pairing would be quite effective for a detailed character study and dynamic. I hope you like what I have in store for them ;)**

 **Once again, if you want to leave your ideas, criticisms or any questions, leave a review or PM me!**

 **Thank you all for the support and patience you've been giving me, and as always:**

 **May the Force be with you.**

 **Always.**


	8. Chapter 8 : Memories

**Hello everyone, I hope you're all doing well in this time of crisis. Remember to take the necessary precautions, such as social distancing and washing your hands. It may be tedious and obvious, but those little things do help a great deal in combating the spread of diseases such as the coronavirus. Hopefully, we all manage to flatten the curve and will soon be back to our usual routines (mine isn't that different from quarantining really, oh well...)**

 **But hey, since we're all stuck at home, for the time being, I thought it would be the perfect time to upload a new chapter. I know I keep making these 'empty' promises that I will upload more frequently, but it's just that life can be unpredictable for the most part. Even now I have a lot of stuff that keeps me busy even when I can't leave my own house. But I swear, whenever I get enough free time for writing I do try to find ways to improve my skills and develop the narrative in a way that, if things go well, please all of you.**

 **Enough with the whole blah blah blah, you guys have waited for too long. Enjoy the new chapter!**

 **(Review or PM me for any comments, doubts or suggestions!)**

Chapter 8 : Memories

Maul stared intensely at the man across from the fire. The walk through the barren wasteland had been exhausting by sunset the two of them were on the brink of collapse. By the start, Kenobi did make a few smart remarks here and there and did it annoy the Zabrak to the bone. However, because of his revelation about his revenge being fulfilled, Maul did say he'd tolerate him. He imagined he would have broken such promise when Kenobi started making his random comments, but they ceased just as fast as he'd come up with them.

At least he understood when to stop. If Maul did learn something in his time crawling back from the shadows and resurfacing to the Galaxy was that silence was a powerful tool to shut someone up.

But it was also one that drew curiosity. Kenobi had always been the talkative type.

" _I like your new legs. They make you look taller._ "

He held a snarl to the memory in his head. Even when the situation seemed dim, the Jedi would always find a way to anger him to his core.

Strangely enough, he'd done nearly none after they began searching for a place to settle, and Maul did wonder what was going on inside Kenobi's mind. He had sensed some discomfort emanate from him at one point.

Then again, he was uncomfortable having to endure his presence, but the odds of them surviving in this place were higher if they worked together, at least for the time being.

But Maul was still curious. As sunset neared they found some dried up vegetation that would be good enough to make a campfire for the night. And immediately after lighting it, Kenobi laid with his back facing Maul and fell asleep, as if the Zabrak wasn't there at all.

In his head, a voice kept repeating " _He's vulnerable. Kill him, take your vengeance!_ "

And Maul was starting to savor the voice's pleadings. His hand twitched near his saber's hilt as he imagined the pain in Kenobi's eyes as he pierces his crimson blade through his chest, the pain fuelling his hatred.

Suddenly though, came a feeling of emptiness, his sense of purpose vanished into nothingness, and Maul realized why.

What would he do after killing Kenobi? He still didn't know where he was, and according to the Jedi, Sidious was dead. He didn't feel like he would get any pride or success in the aftermath, only a feeling of loneliness and emptiness.

And he was afraid of it. Soon enough, his fear turned into anger, and the anger into hate. He gazed at Kenobi again, his eyes glowing yellow with the hatred. He knew what he had to do.

Maul stood up and slowly crept toward the slumbering Jedi, drawing his double-bladed weapon but not yet igniting it. He was now a mere foot away from him, trying to control his breath, thinking of how to do it. Should he awaken him? Give this man a fighting chance before his inevitable demise, or just do it already, and end the torment inside his head?

The hand holding the saber started shaking, and Maul pressed his lips. He wanted to do it, he had to do it, but something kept stopping him from making the final decision whenever he felt he had decided.

Almost involuntarily, he raised his other hand, leaning in close to Kenobi's head but not touching it. Reaching out, he started to feel the pain, the anguish, the suffering.

 _"Obi-Wan, promise... Promise me you will train the boy..._

 _...You lied to me, how many other lies have I been told by the council!?..._

 _...Remember, my dear Obi-Wan, I've loved you always. I always will..._

 _...Only pain you will find..._

 _...If you're not with me, then you're my enemy..._

 _...Obi-Wan... There... Is good in him..._

 _... I HATE YOU..._

 _...I know there is... Still..._

 _...Now I am the master..._

 _...There is still good in him, Ben..._

So many voices. Some he recognized, others he didn't have any idea of whom they belonged to, but they seemed to be in unison like they were describing a series of events.

Then came a voice he knew.

 _... He... Will... Avenge... Us!"_

His own voice. His last words, loud and clear, followed by a wave of regret, sorrow, resentment and stronger than all, sadness.

Maul withdrew his hand, stumbling backward by the overwhelming hit of emotions. He used the Force to stop his fall but kept panting in shock to what he'd witnessed.

Then he noticed a shift in the environment, and looking up he saw that Kenobi staring at him but still lying down.

They stayed like that for a moment, silence filling in the space. The fire was now but a pile of ash and the cold of the night started to slowly make its way in the site.

After what felt like a lifetime of waiting, Obi-Wan spoke:

"We've all had our suffering. How we deal with it defines who we are."

And so Maul put the pieces together. Those voices were from the saddest moments in Kenobi's life, the times when his world crumbled and hope seemed lost.

And among them was that night on Tatooine, when he passed in his rival's arms acknowledging his defeat.

Maul tried to speak, but couldn't find the words to express himself. Obi-Wan simply gave him a sympathetic glance and turned around "Good night, Maul."

And the Zabrak remained speechless on the ground. He saw the saber in his hand immediately tossed it away, immediately wondering why. His head was spinning with confusion and he wanted to scream it out of his system, but again, he couldn't find the strength to do so.

So he laid his head back on the sand, staring at the moonlight and the stars. The vastness of the universe engulfed him and before he knew, he was asleep. Not having nightmares or thoughts of revenge but for the apparent first time, he simply slept in peace.

 **I know, I know, it's a short chapter, and YES I know I'm taking too long to get to that sweet sweet mess of action that an HvV match in BF2 usually is, but this fic is intended to be more than that. It's a character study, a look at how their stories could have gone. But I'm telling you all who love some physical fighting, there will be plenty of it soon enough.**

 **This was mostly to flesh out what Maul will be struggling with throughout the story, and how he deals with his inner torment. Making him notice Obi-Wan's suffering like it was his own and comparing it to his own seemed like a great way to kickstart this plotline, and I hope you like what I have in store for the Master of Trolling and the Half-Sith.**

 **Now, for the reviews:**

 **TaitanoRules555: For the most part, yes it is. But it won't be just that, think of it too as the ultimate crossover of main SW Canon characters (yes, Canon, I'm sorry Legends fans, but there might be some stuff in here that pleases you as well).**

 **Whowantsout: Thank you very much! I like to see the story has some unpredictability to it ;D**

 **The Jingo: Thank you, sir!**

 **JZ (Guest): I can only hope I manage to keep you interest for the entire run! By two Chosen Ones you mean Anakin and Rey? (I can already see half the Fandom getting pissed, oh boy) I always imagined what it would be if those two ever met, and I think it results in a fun and exciting dynamic!**

 **Thank you all for reading, and remember:**

 **May the Force be with you.**

 **Always.**


	9. Chapter 9 : Always Trouble

**Yup, still taking a while to post new chapters. You know the jizz already, I apologize, promise I'll update more frequently and fail on that promise. But I will keep loyal to my word that I won't leave this story unfinished. This isn't The Clone Wars, I mean imagine being left in limbo for 8 years only to be suddenly brought back? Exciting, but makes us think about what could have been had it not been left unfinished in the first place.**

 **That said, Force, I can't wait for the Siege of Mandalore. Knowing myself and my delays the arc will probably be finished with when I post the next chapter, but that could be helpful to me to get more character interactions complex and fleshed out ;)**

 **Enough with the side talk and back to the content. I know you've been asking for more action and well, let's see if I can deliver your biddings accordingly. Without further ado, let's get into it!**

 **(Review or PM me for comments, suggestions, and opinions!)**

Chapter 9 : Always Trouble

As sunrise began to slip in the first rays of light through the leaves and branches, Poe Dameron winced at the luminosity shining directly into his eyes. He tried blocking it with his left hand, but it wasn't getting the job done so he tried to use his other hand, only to feel it numb.

Actually, he couldn't feel his right arm at all.

Quickly he realized why: Finn had fallen asleep right beside him last night, and apparently found his shoulder to be a good pillow. Unlike Poe, Finn still had his eyes closed, and seemed like he wouldn't wake up just yet.

Poe took this brief moment to reflect on their friendship. Who could've seen a Stormtrooper and a Resistance Pilot not only working together but becoming best friends in the process? Before meeting Finn, Poe wasn't a big believer in redemption stories and even the great tale of Anakin Skywalker returning to the good side after years serving the Emperor as Darth Vader didn't convince him that people could turn back on their wrong-doings and get a second chance.

But Finn, a man who had been raised his whole life in an environment of indoctrination, punishment, injustice, and tyranny and who knew no better than that before his defection from the First Order had come around and almost immediately turned his back on its principals, helping Poe to escape and aiding the Resistance in its struggle to liberate the Galaxy.

And along the way, not only did Finn mature and proven to be not only confident in battle but capable and efficient in a leadership position. Poe did admire the effort Finn put into overcoming his past by making sure the future is to be a better place. He even took some of his noting when leading his fighter squadron and advising Leia on how to guide their missions.

Finn was living proof that even in the darkest place you can always find a glimmer of hope.

But said glimmer of hope was heavy and already drooling in his shoulder. His head was pressing in a way that blocked Poe's circulation from reaching his arm, explaining why he couldn't feel it. And with the sunlight flashing brighter at his face, this morning was already not one of his best.

He tried to move his arm away, but with it still being numb it didn't respond. So Poe adjusted his body to get the circulation going and Finn's head began to slide down his arm, a trail of drool left in his sleeve.

"C'mon man, you gotta stop ruining my jackets!" He murmured, pushing Finn aside and finally feeling the blood return to his arm.

He sighed relief, but when he looked to his side to glance at Finn, Poe noticed the man's body tilting to the other side, and with him still asleep it was clear he was going to fall down the tree.

His eyes goggled as he reached over, just in time to grab Finn's arm but his weight carried Poe with it. They were about to plummet downwards when Poe's feet got stuck at a few bush ropes, leaving the two men hanging from the branch they slept on the previous night.

Finn blinked several times before fully realizing the situation they found themselves in. Waking up in a panic, he screamed and looked up to find Poe holding him by his arm.

"Poe, what happened!?"

"Pushed you too hard." He said through ground teeth as he tried to pull Finn up. Being unable to, he dropped his head "And now I'm stuck upside down."

Finn shook his head before continuing "We literally just woke up and we're already in trouble?"

Poe chuckled "Y'now, it's natural."

They heard a cracking noise mid-laughter and before they could react the bush ropes holding Poe's feet snapped, sending them down to the ground.

They landed ungraciously to find the soil soft and absorbing some of their impacts, immediately getting their attention.

"Poe, are you okay?" Finn asked, brushing some leaves off his clothes.

"Yeah yeah. Are you seeing-"

"Yes..."

They stared at the ground, which was now covered in all shades of green, with leaves, fallen tree trunks, bushes and various kinds of plants covering the environment.

"So we were in a desert..." Poe started.

"Yep."

"...Got attacked by a monster..."

"Yeah." Finn nodded.

"...Found a random lonely tree..."

"Uhum."

"...And suddenly we're in the middle of a forest."

"That's right."

The two looked at each other then back around, confused expressions printed on their faces.

"I swear, whoever dipped death sticks in my bottle is gonna get into trouble." Poe said, running his hand through his forehead.

"This doesn't make any sense like it's naturally impossible... What is this place?" Finn picked up a small flower to check if it was real.

"Whatever this is, we gotta get out of here as soon as possible. I don't like this randomness. You got your holodisc with you?"

"Yeah" Finn reached for his pocket, activating the device "Leia said frequency B9, right?"

"Yes, try contacting her already. I don't know if it's gonna be easier or harder to find her with all this jungle everywhere."

Finn sent the signal, and not long after a hologram of the General appeared in his hand.

"Finn, Poe, are you alright?"

"Yes we are General, thank you." Finn said, but before he could continue Poe spoke.

"Leia, has anything changed there? Like, the desert-"

"Yes." She replied "I'm still near the cave I spent the night at, but everything is just green now as if someone planted a forest overnight. I've never seen anything like it."

"General, keep your signal up and stay where you are, we're coming for you. Let's maintain contact every fifteen minutes to make sure we get better odds at meeting up." Finn said, already setting a timer on the disc to alert when the time was up.

"Good idea. You two don't get into any misadventures or I'll have to come to rescue you."

"General, we've been through a lot, I'm sure we can handle mysterious jungles."

Leia gave Poe a suspicious glance "Sure thing flyboy."

The hologram faded and Finn put the holodisc away "I still can't process her being young."

Poe smirked "Can any of us?"

The two looked ahead, trying to figure out the best route to follow.

"She said a cave, which means probably some sort of rocky formation. We gotta look for that first, but where?"

Finn tapped him on his shoulder, walking away "We follow our instincts!"

Poe sighed and followed behind, only to hear a whipping noise and trip over. Looking at his legs, he saw them tangled in a cable.

Finn turned to see Poe incapacitated on the ground "Poe! What hap-GAH!"

Blue bolts ran through Finn's body as an electric dart hit his chest, making him fall unconscious. Poe heard the attacker approach from behind him, but before he could pull up his blaster it was kicked off his hand, and he was hit in the head, sending his vision into darkness.

When Finn came back to his senses, he and Poe were tied up against a tree, with their blasters and holodiscs out of reach at a figure's feet. He analyzed the attacker's features:

He wore green Mandalorian armor, with a ragged up cape hanging from his shoulder. The armor showed clear signs of battering and modifications, carrying dents and scorches from previous skirmishes. He held what seemed to be an EE-3 blaster rifle, which was considered old given it was mostly used during the Galactic Civil War.

Then one of the holodiscs began beeping. It had been fifteen minutes, which means Leia was contacting them. The aggressor took the device and walked toward the tree they were held to.

He looked at Finn and after what he assumed was some reflecting, the man crouched to Poe, slapping him across the face to wake him up. Poe opened his eyes startled, and the man held up the holodisc.

"You're gonna answer it like everything's normal, and you..." He pointed the EE-3 at Finn "Are gonna keep your mouth shut. Am I clear?"

Poe hesitated for a moment but nodded in agreement. The man activated the disc, and Leia's image flickered.

"Where were you? It's been thirty minutes, and we agreed to contact in fifteen!"

Poe gulped. The man then stepped hard on his foot, forcing him to come up with a quick answer.

"Yeah, we uh, we found a puddle of water nearby and stopped to hydrate ourselves. You know water is... Important!"

Finn considered just shouting out what was going on but given their situation the odds were stacked against them, and who knew about the attacker's true intentions.

Leia raised her eyebrow but continued "Okay, bring me some then, I'm dying of thirst. I've found a few fruits that may help with hunger. Now, remember, fifteen minutes?"

"Yeah yeah of course, sorry for that General." Poe said, giving a not-so convincing smile.

Leia turned off the call and the man threw the holodisc away and got up, turning his back to them.

"So you're with the Rebellion."

"Yeah, Resistance, Rebellion but whatever." Poe could cite from memory every time someone attempted to mock the Resistance by calling it by its predecessor's name.

"What do you want from us?" Finn asked, trying feebly to free himself.

"You're with Organa, that's what matters. Me and her crew have some unfinished business."

"Look, man, Leia's got problems with a lot of folks. Why don't you just let us go and try to move on? I'm sure-"

"You're gonna be my bait, and when she comes she'll tell me where to find Solo and Skywalker." The man cut Poe off, turning around to face his prisoners.

Finn frowned "You mean Han Solo and Luke Skywalker?"

"Unless you two know where they are." The man pulled out a vibroblade, pointing it at Finn "Which I'll make sure you tell me."

Finn just shook his head, scoffing at the man's threat.

"Look, Mando, whatever bounty they had you're after is already gone."

"This isn't about bounties, it's about personal matters."

Poe shrugged "Meh, not gonna get revenge either."

The man stared at them silently, but Finn knew that under that helmet laid a confused look.

So Finn decided to continue "They're gone. For real, as dead as one can be."

The man flinched, pointing the vibroblade back at him "You're lying."

"Unless you can use the Force and read his mind, you gotta trust his word." Poe replied, looking at the cables tying them against the tree.

The man walked closer, grabbing Finn by his hair and pulling his face forward "Let's see if Organa is more open than you two." He activated the blade, bring it closer to Finn's neck "I'm sure some persuasion will make her talk."

Finn was sweating nervously while Poe tried to free himself in vain, shouting "No wait, we're telling you the truth!"

Suddenly, the sound of a blaster firing was heard, and the man fell to the ground. Behind him, Finn and Poe could see the heroic figure of Leia Organa.

"LEIA!" They both said with joy.

"Men, always getting themselves in trouble." She blew the smoke off her blaster's barrel.

"But when-how did you-"

She leaned down to cut the cable with the dropped vibroblade "I may be looking younger Poe, but I'm experienced. I know how someone sounds when they're taken hostage. Also, I was tingling with some of the circuits in my holodisc last night and managed to pinpoint a few signals, including yours."

Poe and Finn got up, stretching from the uncomfortable positions they had been kept in.

"But why didn't you tell us earlier?" Finn asked.

"I was gonna tell you in the last transmission but I noticed the situation you were in. Unlike you, I can act under pressure."

The two men looked at each other then back at Leia, who was now beside the fallen bounty hunter "I only stunned him. Are you gonna help me tie him up or what?"

They removed the man's gear minus the helmet, which Leia insisted on keeping on him for the time being. Making sure he had no hidden gadgets, they put him in the same position they were just minutes ago.

"Leia, he said he had unfinished business with you."

"You can bet he does."

Poe and Finn left the equipment away from the man's reach, and Poe continued.

"Who is he? A bounty hunter working for the Order?"

"No, but he's as dangerous as they are."

"What do you mean?" Finn asked.

"That's Boba Fett."

The two had even more confused expressions stamped across their faces, while Leia stared at Fett tied up against the tree.

"We sure got a huge issue in our hands."

 **So Boba Fett has been thrown into the mix! Let me know if you expected to see him in this fic and what other characters you hope/think are still to appear!**

 **And I'm finally gonna start showing some action from now on. I know it was very limited in here, but it will be getting progressively bigger and crazier as chapters go on, you'll see. I am promising BF2 HvV all-out brawls in here, and you can for sure note that you will be getting that.**

 **I'm already half-way done with the next chapter, and I hope you guys keep being thrilled with the way the story is headed. Thank you all for the continuous support!**

 **Now, for the reviews:**

 **TaitanoRules555? Well, fighting is getting started, my friend. I'm still teasing, but there will be more...**

 **LizelleD: Yes, the characters will eventually meet and interact, as shown with Kylo and Rey's Force Bond and now Leia meeting up with Finn and Poe. The pairs and groups will certainly mingle and mix up with each other, and not be contained in their separate chapters. I have a grand plan for how this narrative should culminate, and it will for sure be a more satisfying ending than TROS. As for the timelines, not answering that yet... Also, hope you stay safe from COVID-19!**

 **Thank you for reading, and remember:**

 **May the Force be with you.**

 **Always.**


	10. Chapter 10 : The Little Green Friend

**Well, I'm kinda late, am I not?**

 **Once again, sorry for the lack of updates, but let's say life has some tricks up its sleeve... And they tend to make you very busy. The whole lockdown thing, although boring, has presented me with a great opportunity to focus more on my studies for getting into university, which in my country requires quite a lot of knowledge (essentially all the subjects you learn in high school, yeah a bit too much).**

 **But I also wanted to wait for The Siege of Mandalore to be over before I could continue with this story. That last arc exceeded all my expectations, in ways I didn't even think were possible. I could praise those four episodes non-stop in here, but that's not what you guys came for. Just know that the finale for The Clone Wars has certainly shaped the way this story will be handled going forward, in ways I know many of you will enjoy.**

 **Speaking about enjoying things, I hope you guys find this chapter entertaining. And I promise you, the big Battlefront II-hero brawl is coming...**

 **(Review or PM me for thoughts, opinions, and suggestions!)**

Chapter 10 : The Little Green Friend

"Uh, a little help please?"

Anakin turned around to find Rey entangled in several bush ropes, again. He merely rolled his eyes and with a swift swing of his saber cut the vines off, letting them fall easily around Rey and down to the ground.

"You gotta chop them before you go through them, otherwise you'll keep getting tangled up."

Rey shook the remaining leaves off her body "I can handle myself." She stepped forward only to get her foot stuck on a tree root, nearly falling on her face if not for her Force Reflexes.

Anakin held back a chuckle "Sure thing, 'Ms. Handle Myself'." He held out his hand, helping her up. She sighed in frustration, walking past Anakin with dropped shoulders, making his smirk quickly disappear.

"Hey, I was just joking! Don't take it pers-"

"I'm not." Rey said, pressing her lips "It's just that I'm too distracted."

"Well, then what is distracting you?" Anakin asked, making Rey subtly get frantic thoughts. Holding back a gulp, she replied.

"I got a bad night's sleep. That's all."

She had indeed gotten little rest, but of course, she wasn't going to tell him the real reason as to why. The awareness of the Bond, of _him_ being in this place made her unsettled, and her mind was going rampant. What should she do? Try to find and confront him, or avoid any sort of contact at all costs? What kind of assurance did she have that _he_ wouldn't hunt her down instead? She knew what _he_ was capable of doing, both for evil and for good. That hand touch, although seemingly insignificant, had shown her all about _him_.

But _he_ 'd made his decision, killing his master and becoming the most powerful man in the Galaxy, and for what? Just power in itself? Why had _he_ turned his back on the choice of redemption when it was so close to him?

For nearly a year she'd refrained herself from thinking about all these questions, and for the most part, it had worked. Since the battle on Crait, the Bond hadn't manifested to her, and when the Resistance settled on Ajan Kloss, the planet's seclusion from galactic knowledge aided in her efforts to forget anything concerning their connection.

But suddenly she'd woken up to this strange place, with a man long thought to be dead and the Bond feeling stronger than ever. Being caught completely off guard by this turn of events made Rey's head feel like a hurricane of emotions, one that was difficult to contain which resulted in her being distracted to her surroundings.

And the fact that a random forest popped up overnight, replacing the previous barren desert in which she and Anakin had encountered themselves in at first didn't help the matter at all. It just complicated things further.

She managed to mask the scared shiver she got from Anakin putting his hand over her shoulder.

"Look, if you are tired we can settle down for a few minutes..."

"No, I'm good." She said, composing herself before turning her head to him "C'mon, the sooner we discover where we are, the quicker we'll get to leave this place."

She moved forward, igniting her lightsaber and cutting down the vines before she walked through them, just as Anakin had instructed.

Continuing their path in the forest, Anakin could tell something was wrong with Rey. Her presence in the Force was unstable, explosive, pulsating with the strength of a neutron star, yet she was doing a good job at hiding what was bothering her. If he wanted, Anakin could simply pierce through her mind and find out what was going on, but he elected not to do so. For a long part of his life, he forcefully took things from people, and he was done with it. He wanted to forget that side of his.

So he chose to keep his distance, making sure the girl managed her way through the plant life around them, and being patient, waiting for the best moment to talk to her.

After a few more incidents with bush ropes and Anakin 'accidentally' cutting down a huge trunk to attempt making Rey laugh to feel better, a failed attempt, they reached a small clearing in the middle of three large trees. Rey sat on a nearby rock, taking a moment to breathe and close her eyes, trying to ease her brain. Anakin, realizing she needed some space immediately took action.

"I'm going to look around the area. To make sure it's safe to rest here."

Rey simply nodded in agreement. Anakin gave her one last worried glance before heading out to scout the perimeter.

She held her head in her hands, containing a scream that if let out would absolutely warn _him_ of her whereabouts. She felt conflicted, unsure of how to proceed with this situation, and all that'd happened was one brief, a blink-and-you miss it moment in which they both just muttered each other's names, and it had that impact on her.

She needed to vent this unbalance out. Looking behind her, she saw one of the three huge trees around the clearing, that seemed stable and strong.

Without thinking twice, she reached for the lightsaber and, bringing the blue blade to life, slashed it across the tree trunk, leaving a scorched line as a mark. It felt oddly satisfying, so she reverse-gripped her saber and struck the trunk again. And again. And again. And again.

After what seemed like hours she dropped to the ground, her arms aching from the continuous swinging, resulting in her leaving the lightsaber discarded amongst the forest floor as well. In front of her, the tree trunk, it's front half melted down to charcoal, with tiny flames still holding on to existence on its edges. The tree was so massive and strong not even the multiple lightsaber strikes Rey had dealt to it seemed to affect its stability.

" _If only I were like that._ "

She remained silent on her knees, closing her eyes to empty her thoughts. The worries and questions were still there, but her tired state had given her enough to unfocus from them, even if for a brief minute.

Lifting her head to the sky, she savored in the tiny light rays that got through the treetops, enjoying the warmth they brought with them. Growing up in a desert world made her accustomed to hotter climates, and although this place wasn't Starkiller Base, it was still cooler and more humid than she was used to.

"Be with me." She murmured, thinking about Leia's teachings. In the time the Resistance spent settling on Ajan Kloss the General took the little, yet substantial Jedi training she'd gotten from Luke in her late teens and passed it on to her, aiding with her progress in connecting to and mustering the Force whenever needed. Besides, Leia had huge wisdom and an even bigger heart, so each moment Rey could spend with her she considered a blessing, like a chance to live beside the mother she'd never had. Leia was one of the few people that manage to make her feel at peace, and she was very grateful for that.

"Be with me. Be with me. Be with me..."

 _"The Force is with you..."_

Rey opened her eyes in surprise. A voice had answered her, and she'd heard it before, in a dream. No, a vision.

She looked around, analyzing her surroundings to find out where it'd come from.

"... _With_ _you, it has always been..."_

There it was again. She turned around, looking at another one of the huge trees in the clearing. Moving closer to it, she raised her hand, trying to feel the Force as Master Luke had shown her back on Ahch-To.

Surfing through the waves of the mystical power field, she found her arm to be an arrow, and her mind a compass. Using the voice as a pattern, she searched for the mysterious presence, eventually finding it...

...behind her.

Looking to her back, she found a small, green creature with pointy ears and rag robes holding her saber curiously, pointing the emitter directly at its eye.

In shock, she jumped toward the being "BE CAREFUL!"

The creature held the saber away from her, grunting "Me, careful? Careful you should be the one to be, hmm?"

He pointed the saber at the tree she'd previously attacked with it, finding its trunk with a huge crack in its circumference along the burnt axis. Then, a loud snapping noise. Before Rey could realize what happened, she saw the tree trunk start to fall, directly on top of the green creature.

"WATCH O-"

As the trunk went down, the small being lifted his free hand, stopping the fall midtrack. Rey watched with amazement at the minimal effort he was putting to keep that tree levitating freely in the air. Rey could lift heavy objects too, but it required a lot of focus and strength on her part to do so as she'd done on Crait. In sudden situations like this one, she wouldn't have been able to harness enough power in time.

The little creature waved his hand to the side, slowly moving the trunk away from harming him and gently putting it down to the ground. Grunting yet again, he turned to Rey, still holding her lightsaber.

"Too irrational, you are. Let your emotions control your actions, you cannot. You must find the balance between your feelings, your reason, and your spirit to think clearly. Otherwise..."

He looked again at the fallen tree, with Rey listening to him attentively.

"...Accidents such as this one, not preventable in the future may be."

He handed the saber to her, but when she grabbed it he still held on to it.

"Much to learn you still have, Padawan."

"You... I've heard you before. I don't remember when and where, but I recognize your voice." Rey said, still taken back by the being's presence.

"In the Force, always present we are. Even if you do not believe so." He said with a small grin in his face. He let go of the saber, reaching over for a stick on the ground, which Rey quickly realized was a miniature cane.

"Rey! I heard some commotion, is everything... okay?" Anakin asked as he got back from the forest, only to find the girl kneeling next to a very familiar face from his past.

"Master Yoda?"

"Hello, young Skywalker. A long time, it has been." said Yoda, who let a smile indicate that he was happy to see his long lost friend.

Rey's eyes widened in the sudden realization. The few bits of Jedi knowledge she'd gathered from relics and Leia mentioned the Jedi Grandmaster of the Republic, Yoda. One of the most renowned warriors of his time, and a galactic myth by the time she was born.

"You are Master Yoda."

The little green Jedi nodded "Yes, hmhm, why do you ask?"

"I-Uh, I mean, I didn't expect..."

"This? Judge me by my size, do you? Hm?"

Anakin chuckled at the exchange unfolding before him. Yoda had always had a weird, yet direct sense of humor.

"It's good to see you, Master." Anakin approached the two Jedi, also kneeling to the ground "I really mean it."

"Know that you do, I do. A new man you have become, Skywalker. And now, the time for you to make things right, it is."

Rey looked at Anakin, who also shared a look of doubt in his face "What do you mean, Master?"

"The Force works in mysterious ways. Know what this place is, I do not. But know that it has a purpose, I do, and that this purpose will soon unveil to us all."

"Then we will be ready for when it does." Rey said, sounding optimistic for the first time in the day, which made Anakin feel better.

Yoda giggled "Yes, but for now, rest we need. Come, bring you to a friend, I will."

Anakin and Rey looked at each other, surprised "Wait, you've found someone else?"

"Apparently, not alone we are in here, hm? Come now!" Yoda walked to the vines, with Rey and Anakin following him with excitement. There were more people in this place, and together, they could surely find an answer to what this place meant, represented, or even simply what it was.

They moved through the jungle for a while, taking few and sparse breaks on their way. Even with that much time taken with their roaming, the sun was still up when they reached Yoda's campsite, which comprised of nothing more than a few large rocks around a campfire, which was out.

"Friend? Arrived have I!" Yoda proclaimed, turning around to look at Anakin and Rey "A bit shy, he is, but nothing some friendliness won't solve."

They heard footsteps going around on the other side of the campsite. From the vines emerged a man carrying some dry wood to feed the fire, but when he saw the two individuals accompanying Yoda he dropped all in shock.

Rey was in shock too, because this was the last person she expected to be hanging out with an old Jedi Master.

"The Scavenger?!"

"General Hux?!"

 **Not gonna lie, this was probably my favorite chapter to write so far, I just love when characters like Yoda are thrown into the mix, always providing some comical relief while simultaneously providing the necessary knowledge for other characters to grow. And since Yoda's archetype is to be the wise, old and mystical mentor figure, he obviously had to be introduced in a way that would teach a lesson to one of the characters, in this case, Rey. Speaking of her, I hope you find the detailed analysis at her state of mind in this chapter interesting and complex, it's a trait I want to delve further down the line.**

 **Now, for the reviews:**

 **TaitanoRules555: Thank you! I hope the work keeps being as good as you expect!**

 **Phantom Trainer: Once again, thank you mate! Keep the excitement up, I promise not to disappoint you!**

 **(Guest): I'm glad you've found it to be a funny line, I always wondered how Han would act if he ever met his mother-in-law. Hopefully more funny chatters are to come!**

 **pervy sage (Guest): That is a tricky question that I'll elect not to answer, for now, you know, not to spoil surprises. But like a certain former apprentice said, he is "in the shadows always, but soon, very soon, he will reveal himself..."**

 **Thank you all for the continuous support and for the time you take to read. I hope everyone is doing great given the troubling times we're going through right now. If you have any doubts, suggestions, or just want to make a comment, review or PM me!**

 **May the Force be with you.**

 **Always.**


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